FACEIT Watch: ESL FACEIT Group’s Attempt to Shake Up the Esports Viewing Experience

A novel viewing platform made its debut at Counter-Strike’s esteemed IEM Katowice 2024, known as FACEIT Watch, designed explicitly for esports enthusiasts. Warren Leigh, Senior Vice President of Product and Digital Platform at FACEIT, described it as tailor-made for the esports community in an interview with Esports Insider.

Unlike conventional broadcasts where a producer dictates the perspective shown during a competition, FACEIT Watch empowers users to select the viewpoint from any participating athlete.

“FACEIT Watch is a product born out of our observation of the rise of co-streams,” explained Michal ‘Carmac’ Blicharz, Vice President of Product Development at ESL FACEIT Group. Carmac highlighted how co-streams, where influencers broadcast esports events on their channels, disrupt the direct relationship between organisers and spectators.

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There’s been a recent industry trend of prioritising casual viewer satisfaction, but Carmac asserted that with Watch, they have taken a different approach, catering to demanding gamers seeking a highly customisable experience.

Although EFG isn’t the first to experiment with a proprietary streaming platform (BLAST.tv being a precedent), the ability to select perspectives and angles sets FACEIT Watch apart.

The platform’s proving ground was IEM Katowice 2024, where over 100,000 viewers utilised it during the play-ins stage alone, accumulating 1.5 million watch hours throughout the tournament.

The multi-perspective view selector emerged as a standout feature, allowing viewers to switch between preferred players’ perspectives and the main event stream, notably enhancing the viewing experience during critical moments.

Expansion plans are already underway, with FACEIT Watch currently supporting Counter-Strike and Apex Legends, with aspirations for inclusion in many more games in the future.

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Monetisation strategies focus on enhancing user experience while providing opportunities for targeted advertising. FACEIT Watch is supported by non-intrusive ads and collaborations with brand partners aligned with esports community interests.

The platform also offers the potential for pattern recognition in user behaviour, opening up possibilities for tailored advertising and enhanced viewer interaction.

With esports viewership on the rise, FACEIT Watch aims to provide a more targeted, immersive viewing experience, supported by technical partner Znipe Esports. Its evolution and impact on esports broadcasting await further exploration.