Yessssss!!!!!!!
Okay, I had to let my inner gamer rejoice. ESPN and the X Games have decided that MLG (Major League Gaming) is now an official competitive event and will add it to the roster of televised X Games events.
This summer’s X Games will feature a ‘Call of Duty: Ghost’ MLG tournament but the games could expand to include games such as Halo, NBA 2k, & Madden.
“It’s going to be [MLG] bringing our high-level production into a really full weekend,” MLG CEO Sundance DiGiovanni said. “We’re looking to build something here that hopefully becomes a tradition at both the summer and the winter X Games over time.”
“We are for the first time in a position where we have the league structure, the broadcast piece, the direct access to media and brands who are interested in advertising and marketing to this audience, and it’s built in such a way where there’s this tremendous scale in front of us,” DiGiovanni said.
No stranger to ESPN — he was the video gaming expert on “Cold Pizza” — DiGiovanni said the partnership with X Games was an extension of a longtime relationship he has had with the network.
The official statement went on to discuss how things came together:
The partnership with X Games was about a year in the making, according to Tim Reed, senior director of content strategy for the X Games. X Games Austin expands this year into a three-day festival with top-tier musical acts and events surrounding the competition.
“As X Games looks to grow and launch into the festival event we’re producing, this is great added content to the overall plan,” Reed said. “I’m definitely excited to see how it translates [to X Games].”
It’s time to fire up the console and start practicing.