Trailblazer: Behind the scenes of Europe's first esports channels eSports1 and eSportsOne By Heather McLean, Editor
Thursday, April 22, 2021 - 15:16
Print This Story
The German media company, Sport1, will extend the reach of Europe's first dedicated esport channels - eSports1 and eSportsOne globally, following a European regionalisation plan.
The eSports1 channel was launched in January 2019 as the first linear TV channel for esports in the German-speaking region across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It shows 1,200 live hours per year of international and national esports events, as well as highlight shows and in-house produced magazine shows.
After the successful launch of eSports1, Sport1 implemented a pan-European channel project with the start of eSportsOne on 3 November 2020 that currently broadcasts in English, although Daniel von Busse, COO TV and member of the management of Sport1, told SVG Europe that there are plans to offer regional languages across Europe going forward.
We don't differentiate today whether it's the Champions League football or a major esport event; it's all about good content and how we present the content and that's what [our content partners] really appreciate
Central content partners at launch and today for both platforms are ESL, Blizzard, EA Sport, the NBA 2K League and Psyonix with the esports titles Dota 2, Starcraft 2, Warcraft 3, NBA 2K, Overwatch and Rocket League.
Says Busse: In January 2019 we launched the German version for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This is a dedicated platform, so we have an app - eSport1 app - and you can go directly to the app store and download it. Within this app, we have articles, VoDs, and also the linear channel. This model in Germany, Austria and Switzerland has been very, very successful and we got a lot of demand from the rest of Europe, so we [now] have this European version of the German language version.
The 24/7 programming for eSportsOne now comprises of over 1,200 to 1,400 live hours per year of international esports events as well as exclusive, self-produced analysis formats and VoD.
We believe in live, and I think this is the key driver of the channel, Busse says.
The driver to create the wider European version of the German language platform came from both the streaming platforms and sponsors, says Busse. The interest came from two sides. The business model is we are working together with the platforms, so we are putting our channel on certain platforms like A1, Swisscom, and Amazon and we have talked with DAZN and so on. We had a lot of pan-European platforms coming to us saying, this is a great idea and we want to have this channel in our portfolio .
The other demand came from the sponsors like Mercedes and the big brands. They came to us and said, this is really nice because we want to get into the esports environment so can you present us with a pan-European version of this, because we want to have pan-European distribution? .
In side the eSportsONE studio in Munich, Germany
Not Twitch or YouTube
eSports1 and eSportsOne are the first dedicated esport channels in Europe, notes Busse. There are some successful [dedicated esports platforms] in Asia where esport has actually come from, but in Europe, I think this is the first dedicated esports channel.
The idea of this is having a premium platform dedicated to esport. This is something that is differentiating us to platforms like Twitch or YouTube; they are more streaming platforms and they are doing a great job in that, but we have a different approach. We're working with a huge editorial team so it's more premium TV with a high editorial approach.
Today eSports1 is distributed on all the major platforms in Germany today, and Busse says, we are working on the distribution situation regarding the rest of Europe [for eSportsOne], but this is just the beginning .
Busse says these platforms are not Sport1's first foray into esports: We have a long history with esports; we started in 2010 or 2011 with our first moves and we tried it out a little bit. We had it on our digital platform, some articles and some VoDs, and we figured out it is actually something that is fitting to our platform.
Daniel von Busse, COO TV and member of the management of Sport1
World domination
On where the pan-European platform is going next, Busse laughs, on all major platforms all over the world . He adds: We secured the [content] rights on a pan-European base, so we are in the position to go to all territories across Europe right now and these talks are ongoing, but due to the actual [pandemic] situation it is a little bit slow. Even though we have a huge demand from the rest of Europe, it's different to talk about this project in person than on Teams or something. I would expect we would have been even quicker [to expand the platform] without COVID-19.
As for the future of the two platforms, Busse says: We want to have an even better distribution situation in Europe with talks to other territories; this is the first step. The second step is to have a more regional approach, not just an English speaking version but we want to have a focus on each of the major territories, not only in regards to the language, but also in regards to the titles and the athletes. For example, in England there is the cricket, but you wouldn't be successful with a cricket channel in Germany.
With esport it's pretty much the same; it's not one sport, it's like the Olympics with many different sports. The titles are differently successful in different territories. You want to have an editorial approach to certain athletes and more regionalised product in the territories. That would be the next step for us.
Content and distribution partnerships
The channels are distributed on Sport1's own app
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
15/07/2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is a big deal for DAZN, which has distribution rights in three markets: Italy, Spain, and Japan. Each requires a different editorial app...
15/07/2026
As sports-media organizations manage rapidly growing content libraries and incre...
15/07/2026
HBS director of digital Johannes Franken talks SVG Europe through the operation built to serve FIFA World Cup 2026 rights holders remotely from Stratford, east ...
15/07/2026
IBC has unveiled the conference program for IBC2026, with this year's event ...
15/07/2026
Software-defined wideband RF platform supports 96-kHz monitoring, streamlined fr...
15/07/2026
New AI-powered module enables broadcasters and content owners to extract dialogu...
15/07/2026
Weeklong gathering at EBU headquarters will test new IPMX capabilities and expand certified product ecosystem...
15/07/2026
Force Tech has announced the appointment of Bryan Adams, CTS, as Vice President of Integration. Adams will oversee AV and broadcast integration project delivery...
15/07/2026
USA Sports has announced an exclusive English-language agreement with the Bundes...
15/07/2026
ITV Sport's FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage has been produced from one of the m...
15/07/2026
Program will provide professional camera kits, training, and technical support to participating local newsrooms...
15/07/2026
San Francisco church becomes first U.S. deployment of the 2 M/E production switcher...
15/07/2026
Former ESPN and NFL Network executive to advise startup league on media, distribution, technology, and fan engagement...
15/07/2026
The Houston-based RSN is the live-game home of the Astros and Rockets...
15/07/2026
Launched alongside new FreqSoft installer
Designed to bridge the gap between hardware and software, Freqport's FreqInOut FO1 unit provides a simple way ...
15/07/2026
Save up to 55% on software until 23 July 2026
Expressive E have just launched their Summer Offer sale, with discounts of up to 55% now applied across their ...
15/07/2026
Real-time stem-separation tool updated
zplane have recently released a new and improved version of their real-time stem-separation plug-in which they say ma...
15/07/2026
A new benchmark in bass enhancement
Described as a new benchmark in bass enhancement , Baby Audio's latest release has been designed to augment the lo...
15/07/2026
DMC Production's AR 1 and AR 2 units reverse the conventional OB workflow, keeping all production-critical processing at the venue while operators work remo...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
GigaCloud, a leading Ukrainian cloud service provider, and Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud storage enabler, today announced a new Business Alliance Part...
15/07/2026
SMPTE, the global society for media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has announced the launch of the SMPTE 110th Anniversary Campaign, a fundraising...
15/07/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, unveils the new StudioComm Model 762 Stereo Level Control, ...
15/07/2026
COW Jobs: Producer, Virtual Events - Hybrid, Full Time, Salaried
Brie Clayton July 15, 2026
0 Comments
Producer, Virtual Events (Hybrid | Full-time | ...
15/07/2026
Brazilian media organization builds nationwide CDN with Broadpeak's high-performance software for low-latency streaming and new content distribution service...
15/07/2026
DHD announces a new utility designed to increase the efficiency of its audio mixing systems during initial installation and subsequent configuration.
Anyone w...
15/07/2026
BCNEXXT Brings Next-Generation Vipe to IBC2026, Breaking the 1:1 Channel-to-Server Ratio New innovations liberate broadcasters from legacy playout infrastructur...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/07/2026
Wednesday 15 July 2026
Screeners and press pack now available: Gomorrah: The Or...
15/07/2026
Trinity's Treasures features Ruth Negga, Eleanor McEvoy, and David Norris, a...
15/07/2026
Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy a...
15/07/2026
Home to leading manufacturers, robotics pioneers, infrastructure builders and gaming, of course, Japan is one of the world's centers of AI - building across...
14/07/2026
South end zone videoboard, cloud-based control system will be ready for 2026 football season...
14/07/2026
Redesigned website, enhanced mobile app unify content, ticketing, and personalized fan engagement...
14/07/2026
Agreement spans sponsorship sales, digital monetization, radio production, and new practice facility naming rights...
14/07/2026
Independent league adds 14 regional sports network affiliates, growing distribut...
14/07/2026
New strategy aims to unify competitions, content, fan engagement, and commercial...
14/07/2026
ESPN and Disney+ become exclusive home of PFL events in key international MMA market...
14/07/2026
Gill will oversee engineering, technology, and sports operations across the company's 64 local television stations...
14/07/2026
Submitted by North American Broadcasters Association (NABA)
As broadcasters con...
14/07/2026
Modernized mobile unit combines HOME Apps, mc 56 console, and IP infrastructure ...
14/07/2026
Every match of the 32-team tournament will air across ION and Scripps Sports platforms in English and Spanish...
14/07/2026
FloHockey to stream every game of the annual international tournament under four...
Trailblazer: Behind the scenes of Europe's first esports channels eSports1 and eSportsOne By Heather McLean, Editor 
