Telefónica and Mediapro launch esports channel for LATAM

League of Legends, Fortnite and Call of Duty will be available for esports fans to view in Latin America after Telefónica and Mediapro confirmed the launch of Movistar’s esports channel.

Spanish based Telefónica and Mediapro have announced their strategic commitment to the esports sector, launching a dedicated channel to promote and distribute esports through the Movistar OTT Play platform.

The firms expect the channel, which will be called Ubeat, to be the home for all esports fans in the LATAM region.

Telefónica director of video Latin America Paula Figueroa said: “We are very proud of the alliance reached with Mediapro to together offer the most complete esports channel for fans in the region.

“The incorporation of Ubeat reinforces our content proposal adding new games, championships and original content with Latin talent and Movistar’s commitment to the world of gaming.”

Movistar Ubeat will host local, regional and global esports content for the first time in a single channel which will be adapted for Latin American fans.

• Read more: The esports evolution: Dota 2 championship

Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay will be the first countries to have access to the Ubeat channel, which aims to become the reference point for esports with more than 12 original formats dedicated to the sector. This includes Global Enews, Multiplayer and Games Tribune.

The channel will be distributed in basic packages offered by Movistar in Latin America, both through its OTT Movistar Play, which has more than 110 million customers with access to Telefónica’s TV, mobile and broadband services in the region have access.

The companies announced that the Movistar esports Ubeat channel will soon be available in pay TV service, however, did not disclose the cost or package options, nor a did it reveal a launch date.

Mediapro Group innovation director Mari Carmen Fernández Tallón said: “We have no doubt that Movistar esports Ubeat will be a success and a reference for all esports and entertainment fans, we will add the Mediapro experience in this field and the wide dissemination that Movistar can offer in Latin America.”

It is not Movistar’s first foray into esports, as the company closed a dedicated esports channel, Movistar eSports, in December after two years.

Interest in esports is growing in the Latin American region, as it is globally. Grupo Salinas-owned Mexican television broadcaster TV Azteca recently agreed to invest $5m in Allied Esports to develop a dedicated eSports channel in Mexico.

• Read more: Understanding the esports ecosystem