Cologne
The Electronic Sports League (ESL) originated in 2000 as the successor to the Deutsche Clanliga. Founded by Jens Hilgers, it started as an online gaming league and magazine, also providing server rentals for competitions.
In 2015, ESL's Intel Extreme Masters Katowice became the most-watched esports event at that time, with over 100,000 attendees and one million Twitch viewers. Modern Times Group (MTG) acquired a 74% stake in ESL for $86 million, expanding ESL's reach into cinema broadcasting of esports events globally.
ESL took proactive measures against drug use in esports, collaborating with anti-doping agencies and implementing testing at events. It partnered with Valve for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments and held major events at prestigious venues like Madison Square Garden and the SAP Center.
In 2017, ESL partnered with Hulu for esports series production and announced a significant partnership with 1xBet. Renewed partnerships with Intel and other investments were made, totaling $100,000,000 in esports funding through 2024.
In 2022, ESL and FACEIT were acquired by Savvy Games Group (SGG) for a combined $1.5 billion. This acquisition led to the formation of the ESL FaceIt Group, with executives from both companies taking key leadership roles.
Sponsoring
| Name | Start |
|---|---|
| G2 Esports | TBD |
News
- 2023-10-24 Ralf Reichert to Lead Esports World Cup Foundation
- 2023-11-30 Dota 2 ESL Pro Tour Schedule Revealed
- 2024-02-01 ESL Expands Partnerships with Intel and Acer
- 2024-02-09 ESL FACEIT Group Partners with Znipe Esports
- 2024-02-28 ESL FACEIT Group Partners with WeDoCRM
- 2024-02-28 ESL FACEIT Group to Lay off 15% of Employees
- 2024-03-01 ESL FACEIT Group Partners with Supercell
- 2024-03-01 HEROIC Leaves Louvre Agreement
- 2024-03-29 Overwatch 2 FACEIT Legaue Announced
- 2024-04-08 ESL Partners with Qiddiya City
- 2024-04-12 ESL FACEIT Group Reveals ESL Featuring Fortnite
- 2024-04-18 ESL FACEIT Group Partners with KICK