• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Facebook to Stream More E-Sports Including ‘Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’ Tournament

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 18, 2018, 9:00 AM ET

Get ready to watch people on Facebook play the role of commandos who defuse bombs and kill terrorists.

The social network and e-sports company ESL said Thursday that two of its biggest live video game tournaments, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Pro League and ESL One, would now be exclusively streamed live on Facebook (FB).

The agreement highlights the growing popularity of e-sports, which was once considered a niche hobby, but has since turned into a huge spectator sport. Big tech companies are increasingly trying to get in on the action by streaming competitions that involve professional leagues worldwide.

ESL and Facebook declined to comment on the financial terms of the deal.

Under the agreement, Facebook will stream upcoming “seasons” of the CS:GO Pro League, which is focused on the popular first-person shooter game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The first tournament in the series will start Feb. 13.

Additionally, the separate ESL One tournament series, which also features the Counter-Strike game as well as the fantasy strategy game Dota 2, is scheduled to kick off Jan 23. ESL said it would also broadcast a five-minute weekly show dedicated to Dota 2 on Facebook’s Watch video-streaming service.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Although Facebook will stream two ESL e-sports tournaments, ESL will continue to host other gaming competitions through Facebook rivals like Amazon’s Twitch and Google’s YouTube.

Patrick Chapman, Facebook’s manager of esports partnerships, said that among the benefits of hosting e-sports tournaments on Facebook is that people must use their real-life Facebook accounts to comment during the live broadcasts. It makes it more difficult to engage in harassment and profanity, which can be a common problem during e-sports broadcasts.

“If you’re on the record for yourself, it reduces a bit of the toxicity,” Chapman said.

World eSports Association (WESA), which was founded by ESL and some e-sports teams, is also part of the partnership and represents some of the participating e-sports teams.

The deal announced on Thursday is an expansion of a previous agreement in May between ESL and Facebook. In that partnership, Facebook said it would broadcast over 5,500 hours of gaming tournaments, which is already underway.

Story Updated Thursday 1:30 PM PST to correct Chapman’s title.

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang reacts during a press conference at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Gyeongju on October 31, 2025.
AINvidia
Nvidia’s CFO admits the $100 billion OpenAI megadeal ‘still’ isn’t signed—two months after it helped fuel an AI rally
By Eva RoytburgDecember 2, 2025
55 minutes ago
Big TechInstagram
Instagram CEO calls staff back to the office 5 days a week to build a ‘winning culture’—while canceling every recurring meeting
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 2, 2025
1 hour ago
Elon Musk, standing with his arms crossed, looks down at Donald Trump sitting down at his desk in the Oval Office.
EconomyTariffs and trade
Elon Musk says he warned Trump against tariffs, which U.S. manufacturers blame for a turn to more offshoring and diminishing American factory jobs
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 2, 2025
1 hour ago
layoffs
EconomyLayoffs
What CEOs say about AI and what they mean about layoffs and job cuts: Goldman Sachs peels the onion
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 2, 2025
1 hour ago
Man on laptop puts hand on face
SuccessColleges and Universities
Harvard MBA grads are landing jobs paying $184K—but a record number are still ditching the corporate world and choosing entrepreneurship instead
By Preston ForeDecember 2, 2025
1 hour ago
AIOpenAI
Sam Altman declares ‘Code Red’ as Google’s Gemini surges—three years after ChatGPT caused Google CEO Sundar Pichai to do the same
By Sharon GoldmanDecember 2, 2025
2 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Ford workers told their CEO 'none of the young people want to work here.' So Jim Farley took a page out of the founder's playbook
By Sasha RogelbergNovember 28, 2025
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Warren Buffett used to give his family $10,000 each at Christmas—but when he saw how fast they were spending it, he started buying them shares instead
By Eleanor PringleDecember 2, 2025
7 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Forget the four-day workweek, Elon Musk predicts you won't have to work at all in ‘less than 20 years'
By Jessica CoacciDecember 1, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Innovation
Google CEO Sundar Pichai says we’re just a decade away from a new normal of extraterrestrial data centers
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 1, 2025
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of December 1, 2025
By Danny BakstDecember 1, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Elon Musk, fresh off securing a $1 trillion pay package, says philanthropy is 'very hard'
By Sydney LakeDecember 1, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.