ELEAGUE and Xbox have announced a partnership that will highlight the Gears of War esports scene ahead of the release of Gears 5 later this year.
ELEAGUE will produce six, hour-long feature episodes providing backstage access of professional Gears of War competitions, including an in-depth look into the lives of star players as they train and perform around the world. The series called “ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series: The Bonds and Betrayals of Brotherhood” will debut with the first episode on Friday 14th June on TBS.
Craig Barry, Chief Content Office for Turner Sports told Reuters: “The audience is the most coveted demographic in the media landscape. We know they’re out there, we know they’re engaged. No one’s really cracked the code yet.”
In addition to the series, ELEAGUE will officially reveal new Gears 5 multiplayer gameplay when it hosts the title’s first-ever esports tournament. The tournament will feature eight of the world’s top teams competing live at the ELEAGUE Arena at Turner Studios in Atlanta. Teams and more details on the tournament format are set to be unveiled in the upcoming months. The final two episodes of the TBS series will showcase all the backstage action and key moments from the live tournament.
“We know they’re out there, we know they’re engaged. No one’s really cracked the code yet”
All the tournament action will kick off on July 13-14, with live coverage available on Twitch and live sports streaming service B/R Live.
In February ELEAGUE entered a content, business and event partnership with Rocket League developer Psyonix. The deal includes the production of a series of episodes that focus on Seasons 7 and 8 of the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS).
ELEAGUE also recently announced that it had partnered with male grooming brand Axe. The partnership will see Axe promote its products through ELEAGUE’s digital, social, and television channels and host live activations and on-site competitions at ELEAGUE events.
Esports Insider says: The partnership will allow great exposure for the Gears of War esports scene, especially with it being the first to showcase Gears 5 multiplayer gameplay. Allowing viewers the opportunity to get a backstage look at the tournament could open up the scene for potential new players.