MANILA –TV5 has expanded its sports coverage from physical sports to now include the booming electronic sports (e-sports) and gaming scene in the Philippines with a new venture called GG Network.
GG Network is the country’s first multi-channel network of its kind, covering everything about gaming for PCs and consoles similar to Machinima and IGN from the US, which have been covering the industry for over a decade.
Its informal kick-off happened during the E-Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS), held from October 24 -25, where it set-up a stage to cover what is arguably the country’s biggest gaming / e-sports convention to date.
Located at the heart of the SMX Convention Center surrounded by over 6,000 visitors, GG Network performed like a news outfit, streaming live games online during the 2-day event, providing commentary and inviting the gamers for post-game analysis.
There’s still much to be done, admits Jayson Dayrit (pictured), a content publisher for Sports5.ph now acting as manager for GG Network.
It’s very much in its infancy – a website is still in the works but GG Network already set up an official Facebook page and channels on YouTube and Twitch, a live-streaming video platform rivaling the former but caters mainly for the gaming community.
Often scoffed as needless child’s play, gaming and e-sports have rapidly grown into a multi-million industry. According to games market research agency Superdata, global e-sports is now valued at $ 621 million and growing with an audience of 134 million.
Gaming in the Philippines is promising but has yet to reach the business activity of countries like South Korea where gaming is treated not just a promotion platform or revenue stream for brands but a marketing strategy in itself. For North America, for instance, corporate sponsorships total at $111 million.
TV5 is attempting to seize this opportunity by being a pioneer. Data about the Philippines is scant, but Superdata reveals that Asia is currently leading the global e-sports market with $374 million, or 61% of the total.
“TV5 is getting ready to strike while the iron is just warming up,” he shares, anticipating an increase in activity in both popularity and business interest in the industry starting this 2016.
“Let’s do this now so when 2016 comes the plane is already in the air. Yes, there are ideas that are a bit inefficient and even areas that we might go completely wrong. But it’s better to learn now than to start next year when everyone gets interested.”
GG Network, which stands for “Good Game” – a polite remark among gamers for a good bout or fight, is currently on the hunt for content creators for both video and stories. But rather than owning the content, Dayrit explains that GG Network will operate more as a platform. “It will not own the content but will earn indirectly, giving Filipino creators the freedom they deserve.”
In the long run, Dayrit is looking forward to developing a robust in-house team to create original content, not just for online but also for TV. During the interview, he said that GG Network was in talks to secure air time on TV5 for e-sports related content, but adobo confirmed Wednesday that the network aired the “2015 World Championship: League of Legends” on Aksyon TV UHF channel 41 and sports5.ph.
Dayrit reserved the finer points about GG Network’s upcoming plans – much like a gamer with his eyes firmly on the prize, ever cautious of jumping to conclusions.
“Let’s not talk about it. I am afraid I might jinx it,” he joked when pressed for details.
