eSports content coming Sportsnet NOW and Sportsnet 360

Sportsnet announced an exclusive Canadian content deal with ESL (world’s largest esports league) to run esports content on Sportsnet NOW & Sportsnet 360.

Rogers also announced new peering agreements with some of the top e-gaming brands in the world: Valve (creators of Steam), Riot, Blizzard, Xbox, and Playstation Network, so that Rogers Ignite internet customers can enjoy fast, smooth gameplay and an optimized gaming experience over the network.

Launching this fall, esportsTV, will be available exclusively in Canada on Sportsnet NOW. In addition, a weekly esports news, highlights and analysis program will air on Sportsnet 360 beginning in July. Additional details will be announced at a later date.

This new agreement makes Rogers the first telecommunications company in Canada to secure exclusive rights to esports content.

And it’s not just about tuning in and watching from the sidelines – gamers can also jump into the action with Rogers Internet, recognized as Canada’s fastest by Speedtest*. Through robust technology andpeering agreements with leading gaming platforms such as Steam, Rogers Internet customers can enjoy fast, smooth gameplay so they can compete with the best in the world. Average download rates published by Steam show that Rogers consistently tops the list of providers across Canada.

“There are 19 million people in Canada who identify as gamers and Rogers Ignite Internet is optimized to bring them our best possible online gaming experience,” said Mark Shinozaki, Director, Internet Product Management, Rogers Communications. “In the real-time world of gaming, any lag or stutter can be the difference between winning and losing and our Ignite Gigabit service delivers our fastest speeds for multiple devices in the home, giving gamers a competitive edge.”