The Overwatch League was broadcast during prime time on the US channel ABC. Much to the dismay of many traditional sports fans, who were not pleased about it at all.
What was shown? The finals of the first phase of Season 2 of the Overwatch League were aired on ABC. Eight teams competed for the first place and a total prize pool of $500,000:
- $200,000 for 1st place
- $100,000 for 2nd place
- $50,000 each for 3rd and 4th place
- $25,000 each for places 5-8
The playoffs already caused a stir due to a coin flip beforehand. The broadcast itself, however, really heated things up, especially among regular viewers who have no interest in eSports.
Here are the reactions: Viewers of ABC have sent true doomsday messages to the network in reaction to the eSports broadcast. Remarks included:
THIS IS THE END! You must be kidding me. Your network lets DAMN KIDS PLAY VIDEO GAMES on a Sunday. FOR 3 f***ing hours???
Another user complains that the players are “kids out of shape with tiny balls” and that the “girls have more testosterone than the boys.”
Many viewers were probably particularly impacted by the fact that they were actually expecting a basketball game of March Madness at this date. A user even wrote: “The world as we know it is really and officially in decline.”
Here is how the community responds: Fans of Overwatch and eSports are taking it easy. They counter with memes and witty comments:
Yes! Normies of the world, prepare yourselves for us!
Petr Žalud on Twitter
Even eSports expert Rod Breslau, who frequently comments on eSports-related topics, chimed in. He commented on the debate with casual remarks and a reference to an “old man yells at cloud” meme.
Despite its problems, the Overwatch League apparently brings about a change of heart for some viewers. The user who had previously mocked the appearance of the players tweeted afterwards:
The longer I watch this crap, the more I like it. I admit it’s skill, just like sport. I’m improving, this is great.
If you watch the Overwatch games, you probably notice that there’s still a missing feature. And it seems we will have to wait a while longer for it:
