ELEAGUE Season 1

ELEAGUE
2016
Tournament information
SportCounter-Strike: Global Offensive
LocationAtlanta, Georgia, United States
DatesMay 24, 2016–July 30, 2016
AdministratorTurner Sports
William Morris Endeavor
Tournament
format(s)
Group Stage (Bo1/Bo3)
Single-Elimination Brackets (Bo3)
VenueTurner Studios
Teams24 teams
Purse$1,400,000 USD
Final positions
ChampionsVirtus.pro
1st runners-upFnatic
2nd runners-upNatus Vincere
mousesports
MVPJanusz "Snax" Pogorzelski

ELEAGUE Season 1 was the inaugural season of the ELEAGUE Counter-Strike: Global Offensive league, running from May 24, 2016, to July 30, 2016. This was the first CS:GO league to be broadcast on cable television in the United States, airing on TBS and streaming online on Twitch.[1] The season featured 24 teams from across the world to compete in a 10-week season,[2] which included a regular season and a playoffs.[3]

On September 24, 2015 Turner Broadcasting announced that it was partnering with talent agency WME/IMG for a new esports project.[2] Matches were broadcast live on TBS on Friday nights, starting on May 27, 2016.[4] The broadcast was simultaneously available on the online streaming service Twitch.[5] Matches were played at the Turner Studios facility in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The semifinals and final were played at the Cobb Energy Center.[6]

Turner partnered with online streaming services to bring additional video content.[7] One such program featured the Renegades' move from Australia to the United States. Additional content was available on Bleacher Report's Team Stream App.[5] The finals between Virtus.pro and Fnatic was also broadcast on Twitter.[8] The production and broadcast team received positive reviews.[9]

The season started with Luminosity Gaming sweeping Renegades in Group A's best of two and the first televised CS:GO match featured Luminosity Gaming defeating Cloud9 2–1. The season ended with Virtus.pro defeating Fnatic 2–0 to take home the first edition of ELEAGUE. At the end of the season 1 finals, analyst Richard Lewis announced that the second season of ELEAGUE would air on October 7, 2016.

  1. ^ Leslie, Callum (10 March 2016). "Astralis, Cloud9 and Ninjas in Pyjamas confirmed for first ELEAGUE season". Dot Esports. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b Lewis, Richard (September 23, 2015). "Turner set to unveil televised esports league featuring CS:GO". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  3. ^ Frank, Allegra (September 24, 2015). "eSports comes to primetime on TBS in 2016 with Counter-Strike: Global Offensive". Polygon. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  4. ^ Spangler, Todd (September 23, 2015). "Turner, WME/IMG Form E-Sports League, With TBS to Air Live Events". Variety. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and WME | IMG Form Strategic Partnership to Create Groundbreaking eSports League". Time Warner. September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  6. ^ "ELEAGUE semis and finals to be broadcast on Twitter | The Daily Dot". Archived from the original on 2016-08-01.
  7. ^ Wynne, Jared (November 6, 2015). "Turner plans to partner with an online streaming company, expand into other esports". The Daily Dot. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  8. ^ "Twitter Airs Eleague Final, Adds eSports to Live Streaming Lineup". Archived from the original on 2016-08-04.
  9. ^ Page, Kyle (2 August 2016). "What ELeague got right, wrong in Season 1". ESPN.com. Retrieved 22 February 2021.