Viewers from Germany and Europe can currently only watch the Overwatch League games at very inconvenient times – and have no “home team”. The focus of the eSports event is heavily on America with the game times and teams. This should change in the second season.
Those who want to follow the Overwatch League live in Germany currently have to stay awake until 5 a.m. – or at night – on most days. Not a pleasant time for most people, especially not for those who work.
Moreover, the league’s teams are not particularly appealing to European fans. The only European team is based in London and is operated by the American team Cloud9. Only the Shanghai Dragons have no connections to the USA.
The head of the Overwatch League, Nate Nanzer, spoke in an interview with Daily Mail Online about plans to expand the league into Europe. The goal is to make the event more attractive to European and Asian viewers and the market in the second season.
Better Times for Europe and Asia
According to Nanzer, Europe and Asia are very important areas for Overwatch and the Overwatch League. Especially in Asia, the game has a large fan base and player community that the league now wants to cater to.
Nanzer stated that it doesn’t matter where the matches take place in the next season of the Overwatch League. They will be scheduled “at a time that is better for Europe and Asia. The times were not good this year. We are looking to improve that.”
About Football Teams in the European Market
However, the much more important concern of the league head is to give fans a reason to watch: their own teams. In Season 2, numerous new teams are supposed to join the league – focusing on Europe and Asia.
To this end, talks have taken place with the European Club Association (ECA), which represents the individual football clubs in relation to UEFA. Many clubs are thinking innovatively about their future, and eSports is a way for them to reach a new audience.
For Nanzer, cities like Berlin, Paris and large cities in Scandinavia, the Benelux countries, Spain and Italy are particularly interesting. He wants to attract teams to these locations to compete in Season 2.
The League Remains Global
One of the league’s major efforts, according to Nanzer, is to allow teams to organize home games. The decision has not yet been made, but if this step is not taken in the second season, it will be shortly after.
Nevertheless, the league is to remain a global event. Even if the games do not take place in the Blizzard Arena in LA, international teams are supposed to meet during the regular phases and not just during the playoffs.
What do you say about this? Do you watch the OWL already, or are you not interested at all? Would better times and local teams spark your interest? Write us a comment!
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