ABS-CBN to show DoTA 2 finals on S+A

Tier One + ABS-CBN Sports = Galaxy Battles on S+A

ABS-CBN Sports this week entered into a partnership with Tier One to show the Galaxy Battles: Emerging Worlds DoTA 2 tournament on free television.

The partnership will have ABS-CBN Sports show the Finals of the said tourney on January 21 on S+A and S+A HD.

The broadcast will be conducted in full Filipino, with Tier One talents and shoutcasters like Nico "Kuyanic" Nazario, Jaz "Heneral Tuna" Comoda, and Bianca "Biancake" Yao providing this unique persepective for the Filipino gaming community.

Sixteen teams are expected to participate in Galaxy Battles, including local side TNC Pro team.

ABS-CBN Integrated Sports head Dino Laurena says that this partnership is in line with the network's advocacy of supporting local athletes, as well as enables its continued efforts to diversify its content on S+A. He says, "Our advocacy in sports also extends to the fast-growing community of Filipino gamers here, who have already shown that they can compete alongside the best in the world of eSports. We believe they can serve as role models in responsible gaming and show the youth how to raise their game to a competitive level, where dedication and discipline is needed and where it is definitely more than just clicking a mouse or a specific key on the keyboard."

Tier One Chief Executive Officer Tryke Gutierrez expressed excitement with this partnership, acknowledging this as a landmark moment in the local eSports scene. He adds, "I truly believe that in order for eSports to be appreciated by a wider audience here in the Philippines, it has to be covered by local eSports talents in the local language. Most sports coverages are done in Tagalog, why not eSports? I’m just happy to have one of the biggest networks in the country believe in what we’re trying to achieve."