ESPN to Broadcast The International Preview Show on ESPN 2, Championships on ESPN 3

In case you’ve been too busy scouring the plains in the quest for finding phat loot, I’m here to tell you that eSports has become a big thing. To get proof of that, look no further than The International, Valve’s annual competition revolving around Dota 2. Thanks hugely to the fact that the game is free-to-play, Dota 2‘s popularity skyrocketed the moment it came out of beta, and lately, not a day goes by when it doesn’t reach a peak of well over 500,000 players, with it most often breaking past 700,000. Suffice to say, people love Dota 2, and people love watching the pros compete in it.

Here’s further proof of that: Valve has just announced that ESPN will be running preview shows on its ESPN 2 network, and broadcasting the championships via its ESPN 3 online channel. Sure, we might not be dealing with the primary ESPN channel here, but the fact that a sports-focused network is going to broadcast the biggest eSports event going is huge news.

Valve today announced that coverage of The International Dota 2 Championships will be presented in collaboration with ESPN on its live multi-screen sports network, ESPN3. In addition, an exclusive show previewing the final match will be presented on ESPN2 on Sunday at 8:30 pm Pacific. Live access to ESPN2 is also available on digital platforms via WatchESPN.

This year’s International, happening at a sold out KeyArena in Seattle, WA this Friday thru Monday (July 18-22), features a record-breaking prize pool of over $10 mil – the largest ever for a competitive gaming tournament. And for the first time, viewers can watch all the matches, interviews, and analysis happening over the course of the four-day event on ESPN3, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

To learn more about The International, check out the official website. If you’re interested in tuning in, you best clear off some of your schedule for this weekend (including tomorrow).