British broadcaster BBC has committed to air the UK League Championship (UKLC) and Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC).
BBC will broadcast the UKLC from June 14th and the NLC from June 16th on BBC Player and on the BBC Sport application.
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The UKLC is the top flight of League of Legends in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with eight weeks of action taking place on every Sunday and Monday. The NLC is the next step up in the ecosystem, bringing together the top teams from across Northern Europe – namely Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and the UK and Ireland.
Ben Gallop, Head of Digital at BBC Sport, spoke on the decision in a release: “When it comes to esports, it doesn’t come much bigger than League of Legends and we’re very excited to see all teams in action throughout this summer period. Along with all the live sport that is about to resume on the BBC soon, this coverage over the coming weeks shows our ongoing commitment to esports.”
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The NLC is a new initiative birthed from a partnership between League of Legends developer Riot Games and tournament organiser DreamHack. The deal lasts three years and will see the finals of the tournament take place at DreamHack Summer in Jönköping, Sweden.
In April, Barclays was announced as a headline sponsor of the UKLC. Ben Davey, CEO of Barclays Ventures, commented on the agreement at the time: “We are so excited to be partnering with Dreamhack to present the UKLC, the pinnacle of UK league of legends, showcasing and nurturing the top UK esports talent. With our heritage of supporting sport and seeing the power it has to bring people together, the UKLC partnership was an obvious first step for Barclays into professional esports. We’re really looking forward to learning from the community how we can support teams, players, and fans to thrive and grow.”
Esports Insider says: The BBC has been on a roll in terms of picking up esports programming in recent weeks, presumably due to the drought in traditional sports due to COVID-19. After picking up Rocket League and sim racing, supporting local League of Legends is a great show of support.
