WHAT: Today ESPN and the NBA 2K League, the first official esports league operated by a U.S. professional sports league, announced an agreement for ESPN networks to air live NBA 2K League matches throughout the 2020 season.
ESPN2 will air NBA 2K League matches on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET through May 19. Matches on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays will air at 7 p.m. ET on the ESPN app and ESPN.com throughout the season. ESPN telecast and streaming details for matches beginning May 26 will be announced at a later date.
NBA 2K League matches on ESPN2 will mark the first-ever linear telecast of NBA 2K League games in the U.S.
Every NBA 2K League match on ESPN’s platforms will also air live in the Caribbean, Latin America, Oceania and Sub-Saharan Africa on ESPN2 or on one of ESPN’s digital platforms.
All 23 NBA 2K League teams will participate in regular-season game play from their local markets, with four distinct matches each night. Each match will be played in a best-of-three format, which will allow the telecast to switch between games in real-time and give fans more opportunities to experience the league’s most exciting moments. Each three-game-series victory will represent one regular-season win, and each three-game-series loss will represent one regular-season loss.
ESPN’s telecast of NBA 2K League’s remote gameplay is part of its commitment to bringing the sports community together through its #oneteam initiative.
WHEN: Tuesdays at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 through May 19
Wednesdays, Thursday and Fridays at 7 p.m. ET on the ESPN app and ESPN.com beginning May 6 and throughout the season
ESPN telecast and streaming details for matches beginning May 26 will be announced at a later date.
WHERE: ESPN2, the ESPN app and ESPN.com
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About Esports at ESPN
ESPN has a long history of delivering live programming, coverage and content to esports fans. It televised and streamed the Overwatch League playoffs and Grand Finals alongside Disney XD in addition to televising the EA SPORTS Madden NFL 18 Championship Series with Disney XD. In 2019, ESPN Events hosted the first-ever Collegiate Esports Championship at Comicpalooza in Houston and also put on two owned and operated events featuring EA’s Apex Legends in conjunction with The ESPYS and X Games Minneapolis 2019. The network also delivered the Street Fighter V World Championship and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U from Evo 2017, as well as hosted the X Games Rocket League Invitational from X Games Minneapolis 2017, and the FIFA Ultimate Team Championship Series across ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3. In 2016, ESPN2 aired the Capcom Cup 2016 Street Fighter V Final in December, the Street Fighter V World Championship in July, and the Madden NFL 16 Championship from EA Play in June. In addition, ESPN X Games teamed up with Xbox to bring Halo 5: Guardians to X Games Aspen 2016, as part of the Halo World Championship Tour.
Since 2016, ESPN.com has also delivered year-round coverage through a dedicated esports vertical featuring some of the most voices in esports. Previously, ESPN3 carried live coverage of BlizzCon and The International Dota 2 Championships in 2014 and 2015, as well as the 2014 League of Legends tournament. The network also previously delivered exclusive live coverage of Heroes of the Dorm in 2015 and 2016, with the final airing live on ESPN2, and the 2015 tournament being the first ever live, televised coverage of a collegiate esports event for ESPN.
About the NBA 2K League
The NBA 2K League, a professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO), launched in 2018 and features the best NBA 2K players in the world. Each of the league’s 23 teams features six players who compete as unique characters in 5-on-5 play against the other teams in a mix of regular-season games, tournaments and playoffs. NBA 2K League partners include Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Champion Athleticwear, Facebook, GameStop, HyperX, Panera Bread, Raynor Gaming, SCUF Gaming, Snickers, Stance, Twitch and YouTube. For more information about the NBA 2K League, visit NBA2KLeague.com.
Media Contacts:
Olivia Wilson, ESPN [email protected]
Colleen Wagoner, NBA 2K League [email protected]
