Today Valve announced that the entirety of The International (DOTA 2) will be

broadcast on ESPN3 and available online using WatchESPN. There will also be an
exclusive pre-final show on ESPN2 starting at 11:30 p.m. ET on July 20 th. Valve
founder Gabe Newell will be appearing on the show, according to USA Today.
This is one of a host of major steps forward for the eSports community. In July of last
year League of Legends players were granted P-1A visas, or professional athlete
visas, and in April this year Call of Duty appeared as a sport at the XGames. The
broadcast of The International is a large leap towards eSports becoming a respected
form of entertainment.

"From the success of the Compendium to the collaboration with ESPN, this year's
International really demonstrates how much competitive gaming has grown to rival
traditional sports," Valve's Erik Johnson told Polygon. "We believe the teams have also
pushed to a new level of play this year and will further demonstrate the incredible advances
made across this tournament since it first began three short years ago."
To help eSports grow, it is in the best interest of all parties to encourage the viewership of
the ESPN2 preshow and the finals of the DOTA tournament.