Major League Gaming launches 1080p online e-sports network

After trying to grab a foothold on cable television, Major League Gaming has opted to do its own broadcasting via a new online venture dubbed "MLG.TV."

Like Twitch and UStream, MLG.TV will broadcast video game footage, only unlike those services the streams are exclusively populated by competive gamers trying to win sizable cash prizes. Also unlike its competitors, MLG.TV will offer streams at up to 1080p resolution and a chat client based on Twitter, obviating the need for a MLG.TV account simply to join a conversation.

"Based on years of research and first-hand experience with other streaming solutions, we built a platform from the ground up to deliver the viewing experiences that we and our partners create," stated Major League Gaming CEO Sundance DiGiovanni in today's press release. "The MLG.TV network and video player are architected to deliver the highest quality viewing experience possible, utilizing the most reliable streaming technology available."

MLG.TV is available now at Major League Gaming's official website. If the 1080p resolution feature takes a while to load, don't worry, MLG representatives say that this is a common issue for many Internet users. Just wait a bit and assuming you have enough bandwidth, the video player will eventually find the proper resolution.

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Major League Gaming Launches MLG.TV – the Premium Streaming Platform for eSports



MLG Leverages Decade of Expertise in Video Streaming to Launch Unparalleled Video Distribution Network for Premium eSports Content



NEW YORK – November 18, 2013: Major League Gaming (MLG), the global leader in eSports, today launched MLG.TV – a premium online video streaming platform for web and mobile. MLG's 10 years of experience in producing and live streaming the world's most prominent eSports competitions and massive growth in audience led to the release of MLG.TV, the company's own premier eSports broadcasting network.



In its two-week pre-launch beta period, MLG.TV streamed over 1.3PB of video content globally experiencing over 1,000 percent growth in video consumption while maintaining over 95% fill rate in advertising – a strong validation of MLG's premium content and audience's value to advertisers. MLG's proprietary player features 1080p HD and a new Twitter-driven chat feature. The MLG.TV Twitter chat has already resulted in tune-in hashtags trending in the US on a daily basis.



"MLG is one of the fastest growing premium content producers on the web with over 600% growth in audience over the last three years and a long history of driving industry-leading returns for major brand advertisers," said Sundance DiGiovanni, co-founder and CEO of MLG. "We leveraged our experience as a top online broadcaster to create the ultimate environment for not only our own content, but other industry leaders as well. Based on years of research and first-hand experience with other streaming solutions, we built a platform from the ground up to deliver the viewing experiences that we and our partners create. The MLG.TV network and video player are architected to deliver the highest quality viewing experience possible, utilizing the most reliable streaming technology available."



MLG produces and distributes its own robust line up of eSports programming daily at MLG.TV. In addition to streaming league tournaments like the upcoming MLG Championship in Columbus, Ohio, from November 22-24, the company has unveiled new shows like "eSports Report" airing Thursday's at 7pm ET. MLG is driving appointment viewing on mobile and the web through a robust and growing programming schedule mirroring a live television viewing experience.



The company has opened the platform to global influencers in the gaming world welcoming leading Call of Duty team OpTic Gaming and Gfinity, one of Europe's premier eSports leagues, who are producing event-driven, regularly scheduled programming on the MLG.TV network. The company plans to continue opening the platform up to a group of global eSports leaders and gaming personalities.



"MLG's experience as the global leader in eSports made MLG.TV the definitive solution for distributing our special event content to our expansive global fan base," said Hector Rodriguez, owner of the OpTic Gaming Team and Organization which has millions of stream viewers and millions of followers via social media. "In the few weeks that we have been leveraging MLG.tv, our hashtag #OpTicGrind trended on Twitter nearly daily via MLG chat."



About Major League Gaming:

Major League Gaming (MLG) is the global leader in eSports. The company operates MLG.tv, the #1 online broadcast network for professional level competitive gaming; the MLG Pro Circuit, the longest-running eSports league in North America; and MLG: Play, the largest cross platform online gaming tournament system with 8 million registered users across the globe. MLG is one of the fastest growing digital networks worldwide with over 600% growth in audience over the last three years. Each month, the company reaches millions of highly-engaged fans via web, mobile, connected TVs and gaming consoles making it the definitive property for major advertisers to reach young men (80% 16-34 year olds; 90% male, and over 40% HHI $100k+: Comscore). For more information: www.mlg.tv.