IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Overwatch League™ today announced the date, venue, and ticketing availability for the 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals. The Grand Finals, which will determine the league champion, will be held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, September 29th. The two teams that qualify for the Grand Finals will compete for the League’s championship trophy and a share of the US $1.7 million prize pool—with the winning team getting $1.1M and the runner-up taking home $600K.
“Philadelphia is a legendary sports town with amazing fans and the Wells Fargo Center is the perfect venue to crown our next champion,” said Nate Nanzer, Overwatch League Commissioner. “The 2018 Grand Finals in Brooklyn was epic but we’re looking to up the ante for our season finale in Philly. We have 20 teams in the League now, so the path to the championship is going to be extremely competitive and very entertaining.”
The 2019 Grand Finals will be livestreamed on Twitch in 190 countries, and broadcast in the U.S. on ABC from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. EDT on September 29. It will also be available on the ESPN app, overwatchleague.com, and the Overwatch League app. Additionally, the Grand Finals will air in the following countries via additional platforms: Canada (TSN), China (Zhanqi, NetEase CC, Bilibili and Huya) France (Mediawan), Germany (Sport1), and Russia (E Terra TV).
Tickets for the 2019 Grand Finals go on sale June 7th, for more information visit overwatchleague.com.
The Wells Fargo Center, one of the busiest arenas in the world hosting more than 250 events each year, is home to the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, NLL’s Philadelphia Wings, and the Arena Football League’s Philadelphia Soul. With more than 2.6 million fans walking through its doors each year, the Wells Fargo Center has hosted a long list of nationally-recognized events, including the Republican National Convention (2000), NBA All-Star Weekend (2002), ESPN X Games (2001 and 2002), Stanley Cup Finals (1997 and 2010), NHL Entry Draft (2014), NCAA Men’s Frozen Four (2014), and the Democratic National Convention (2016).
“Last year we witnessed thousands of passionate Overwatch® fans at the Grand Finals and we can’t wait to bring this electric event to Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center,” said Dave Scott, Chairman and CEO, Comcast Spectacor. “Overwatch League fans will be some of the first guests to enjoy the arena’s new advancements and we look forward to hosting an international audience for premier programming. We are thrilled to bring world-class gaming to Philadelphia’s expanding technology, esports, and entertainment scene.”
The arena is currently in the midst of a multi-year, $250-million renovation initiative—Transformation 2020—which is aimed at reinventing every aspect of the fan experience within the venue. The Overwatch League Grand Finals will be the first major event hosted at the facility following a summer of major upgrades and advancements, including an overhaul of the main concourse, brand-new lower bowl seating, and the installation of the world’s first kinetic 4K center-hung entertainment system.
The Grand Finals represents the culmination of the 2019 Overwatch League season playoffs, which will feature 12 of the League’s 20 teams. For the postseason, the two division winners along with the next best four teams by record, regardless of division, will automatically qualify. Two additional teams will qualify through a play-in tournament between the seventh- through 12th-place teams. Those eight teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket. The final two teams that advance out of the bracket will compete in the Grand Finals.
Additional Grand Finals event details—including ticket pre-sale availability and match times—will be announced at a later date. Visit www.overwatchleague.com/email to receive the latest Grand Finals news and ticketing updates.
About the Overwatch League™
The Overwatch League™ is the first major global professional esports league with city-based teams across Asia, Europe, and North America. Overwatch® was created by globally acclaimed publisher Blizzard Entertainment (a division of Activision Blizzard—NASDAQ: ATVI), whose iconic franchises have helped lay the foundations and push the boundaries of professional esports over the last 15 years. The latest addition to Blizzard’s stable of twenty-two #1 games,[1] Overwatch was built from the ground up for online competition, with memorable characters and fast-paced action designed for the most engaging gameplay and spectator experiences. To learn more about the Overwatch League, visit www.overwatchleague.com.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (https://www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes twenty-two #1 games[1] and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online gaming service, Blizzard Battle.net®, is one of the largest online-gaming services in the world, with millions of active players.
About Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues
Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues (ABEL) is responsible for the development and operation of premier Activision Blizzard professional gaming properties including the Overwatch League™ and the Call of Duty® World League, as well as the commercialization of the entire Blizzard Esports portfolio. Launched in 2017, the Overwatch League is the world’s first major global esports league with city-based teams, with 20 teams across Asia, Europe, and North America. In 2019, the Call of Duty World League Presented by PlayStation®4 will deliver five vs. five team play featuring Call of Duty®: Black Ops 4. It is ABEL’s vision to be the most innovative, scalable, and valuable developer of global competitive entertainment.
About Comcast Spectacor
Comcast Spectacor is a professional sports and live entertainment company that is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology leader that operates Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal and Sky. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Spectacor owns and operates the Wells Fargo Center arena and complex, as well as a portfolio of professional sports teams that includes the National Hockey League’s Philadelphia Flyers, the Overwatch League’s Philadelphia Fusion, the National Lacrosse League’s Philadelphia Wings and the Maine Mariners of the ECHL. Comcast Spectacor also holds strategic interest in several partner companies spanning the sports and entertainment landscape, including Spectra, Learfield IMG College, Xfinity Live! Philadelphia and N3rd Street Gamers. Visit us at ComcastSpectacor.com for more information.
© 2019 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. OVERWATCH, OVERWATCH LEAGUE, BLIZZARD, and BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT are trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.
[1] Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about ticket availability, distribution channels, and the dates and locations of 2019 Overwatch League season events, including the 2019 Overwatch League Grand Finals, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.