Press release
Today video gaming finds its home on Sky One. The Championship Gaming Series has announced a partnership with BskyB to broadcast the first professional video games league in the UK.
The Championship Gaming Series offers the best gamers in the world the chance to win a place in the first professional ongoing tournaments in the UK – gamers’ equivalent of the premiership. Registration is now open for a series of online competitions that will lead to a live event in Birmingham on August 20 – September 2, 2007, followed by the UK Finals in London on September 4 - 7, 2007. Top winners will be selected to join two CGS UK teams, which will go on to the CGS World Championship in Los Angeles in October 2007.
Salaries and bonuses for the CGS gamers will total approximately £2.5 million in 2007. The league will distribute entertainment content to more than 100,000,000 households worldwide via DIRECTV in North America and Latin America, BSkyB in the UK, and STAR in Asia and Australia.
The championship will be shown on BSkyB using new technology that takes viewers inside the video games as the players compete. For the first time gaming will be broadcast with a quality and delivery that does justice to the video games being played and the ability of the players competing.
The press release:
UK teams to challenge for World Championship on Sky One and Sky Two
BSkyB is to extend its video gaming activities as the Championship Gaming Series (CGS), the first worldwide professional video gaming league, reaches the UK. CGS, a joint venture between BSkyB, Star TV and Direct TV, offers gamers the chance to become paid professionals and earn cash prize money through a series of online competitions, live qualifying events, a UK Championship, and an international World Championship final in California in November, 2007.
The UK online qualifying rounds are now open. Gamers can register by visiting: www.thecgs.com. Successful gamers will be invited to take part in a live qualifier event in Birmingham in August, prior to the UK Championship in London in September. The UK Championship event will conclude with the unveiling of two teams representing the UK cities of London and Birmingham. The teams will be led by General Managers, who will each choose ten players to receive league contracts and begin their careers as CGS pro gamers. The London and Birmingham franchises will then proceed to represent the UK at the CGS World Championship in Los Angeles in October.
Annual compensation and prize money for CGS gamers worldwide will total approximately £2.5 million in 2007.
The league will be supported by online and on-air promotion from the JV partners. In the UK, this will include on-going CGS updates via the Sky Games website, www.skygames.com. Additionally, the regional qualifying events, UK Championship, and international World Championship will be televised on Sky One and Sky Two.
Sky recently launched Sky Games, a service which allows gamers to download a wide selection of video games to their PC. With an accompanying interactive TV service, Sky is developing the Sky Games brand as a multi-platform gaming service. This will include the expansion of the PC-based service and the launch of new games products for mobile phones. Registrations for CGS will also be made available through skygames.com in future.
Mike Darcey, Chief Operating Officer, BSkyB, comments: "We know that many of our customers enjoy gaming so our involvement with the CGS is a natural fit with our entertainment business, and in particular our multi-platform Sky Games service. We look forward to bringing the excitement of the CGS into the homes of our customers, while also expanding our own gaming services".
CGS Commissioner Andy Reif adds "We are proud to work with BSkyB in launching the first global professional gaming league. We're excited to watch the best gamers in the UK compete for a CGS contract and battle with the world's best on a global stage. With leading entertainment brands such as Sky and Sky Games as strategic partners, we plan to bring pro gaming to a broad new audience."
