CSN press release:

This weekend, NBC Sports Group and FACEIT begin their coverage of Universal Open Rocket League, NBC Sports Group and FACEIT’s inaugural esports tournament open to gamers of all skill levels. The comprehensive coverage of the Regional round of the competition will appear across the NBC Sports Regional Networks, totaling more than 30 hours of linear coverage.

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The tournament began with online Qualifiers organized geographically by the NBC Sports Regional Networks, as well as a U.S. Open Qualifier. Top performers from the Qualifiers advanced to the Regionals, which begin Saturday, August 5, with the East Regional at TCN studios in Philadelphia, followed by the Northeast Regional at SNY studios in New York City on Sunday, August 6. The Midwest Regional will take place Saturday, August 12, at CSN Chicago studios, followed by the West Regional at NBC Sports Bay Area studios on Sunday, August 13.

All four-and-a-half hours of each Regional will be livestreamed, unauthenticated, via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app, with the final hour of each Regional televised on all eight NBC Sports Regional Networks. Streaming coverage of the East Regional begins Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET, followed by streaming coverage of the Northeast Regional on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

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EAST REGIONAL – SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, AT TCN STUDIOS IN PHILADELPHIA

The Universal Open Rocket League East Regional is comprised of the top four teams from the Philadelphia and Mid-Atlantic Qualifiers that took place last month. The top performers slated to compete in the East Regional include a pair of teams from professional outfit G2 Esports. G2A is comprised of 17-year-old JKnaps(Jacob Knapman) and Rizzo (Dillon Rizzo), while G2B features Rocket League Championship Series Season 1 champion Kronovi (Cameron Bills) and G2 Esports Rocket League team manager Jahzo (Jacob Suda). G2A defeated G2B in the Mid-Atlantic Qualifier.

Still think e-sports isn’t a thing? A Rocket League tournament taking place inside TCN studios is a collision of two worlds so fierce that it might rip a fabric in the space-time continuum. Just imagine, video gamers presumably on the same set as It’s Your Call with Lynne Doyle.

Rocket League, for those who don’t know, including me, is a video game that combines the best of soccer and cars.

What’s interesting is that e-sports execs actually don’t see cable at all in the future of e-sports, where almost all of the participants and viewers are used to streaming their video content. But as cable networks grasp to hang on to younger viewers, e-sports is something they are increasingly open to incorporating into their lineups. And similarly, 97.5 actually now syndicates an e-sports radio show on Saturdays at 10 p.m.

I can’t wait for the NBA 2k18 e-sports league. For real. That’s gonna be fun.