Aiming to capture viewership and advertising revenue, leading esports league operator ESL/FACEIT Group has launched its own livestreaming service. The Saudi Arabian-owned, Germany-based esports behemoth introduced its streaming platform, FACEIT Watch, on February 8th. The service offers an array of viewing tools, including multi-perspective viewing that showcases active players’ POVs, a kill cam, and a custom sound mixer.
The ESL/FACEIT Group’s streaming platform is a pioneering effort from a major esports league operator to establish an independent livestreaming service. In this endeavour, the group follows in the footsteps of the likes of Twitch and YouTube. A related initiative by Riot Games in 2019 saw it collaborating with Znipe Esports to create Pro View, a similar premium subscription streaming service, which however was discontinued in 2022. ESL/FACEIT group also partnered with Znipe for the launch of FACEIT Watch, but it is free to use.
This move into the livestreaming space comes as esports firms continue to grapple with deriving profit from their operations. ESL/FACEIT Group’s endeavour exemplifies an approach to monetize their principal product. However, questions arise concerning the technology that underpins the operation.
In a Q&A with Digiday, Warren Leigh, Senior Vice President for Product and Digital Platform at ESL/FACEIT group, addresses these aspects.
ESL/FACEIT Group’s Monetization Strategies for FACEIT Watch
Warren Leigh: “Our goal is not to put the content behind a paywall. We will introduce advertising at an appropriate time without interrupting the match viewing experience. We are especially careful about this. We will be looking to utilize natural breaks for some revenue generation, not only for us but for the partners as well.”
The role of broadcasting rights deals for ESL/FACEIT Group going forward
Leigh: “We are not leaning towards an exclusive model for content. Our focus at this moment is purely the customers – the esports fans and players seeking something different. We hope that through feedback, we can develop the service even further.”
Potential applications of FACEIT Watch for ESL/FACEIT Group’s esports portfolio
Leigh: “This is yet to be determined. We are considering ‘Apex [Legends]’ and ran a few initial tests last month to check the stream quality. Whether and how we incorporate new games into the service will be decided in time. A portion of this outcome depends on the interest shown by publishers and developers.”
About the technology behind FACEIT Watch
Leigh: “The video feed is sourced from us, directly from ESL’s broadcasting feed. These streams are then sent to Znipe where they are encoded and stored on a cloud server, from where they are distributed via CDN back into Znipe’s proprietary player. We are utilising modern cloud-based technologies in this part of our infrastructure.”