With traditional sports still in a holding pattern during the COVID-19 quarantine, ESPN is turning to esports to help flesh out their programming. Professional League of Legends will be returning to television this weekend as the LCS playoffs air on ESPN. ESPN2 is set to carry the spring split playoffs, starting with the semi-finals on Saturday. All matches will be available on the ESPN app immediately following the competition.
Cloud9 vs. Evil Geniuses
The first match to be shown on ESPN2 will be Cloud9 vs Evil Geniuses. It’s widely considered to be the best match of the tournament, and many are expecting it to be a preview of the finals. Cloud9 are the presumed favorites, having gone 17-1 on the season. They only added to that expectation last weekend when they demolished 100 Thieves in three straight games. In the other match of the weekend, Evil Geniuses defeated FlyQuest in a 3-1 series.
This weekend’s match will feature some of the best players in the league. Cloud9 jungler Blaber and ADC Zven are both in consideration for spring MVP. Evil Geniuses on the other hand have last split’s MVP Svenskeren and former Cloud9 support Zeyzal. While both teams are looking strong this year, I’m still expecting a 3-0 sweep from Cloud9.
League of Legends on ESPN
The LCS spring playoffs will be airing on ESPN throughout the end of the split. Not only will we see two matches this weekend, but next weekend’s third-place match up and grand finals will also be broadcast on ESPN2. The winner of the spring split playoffs will be given the honor of representing North America at this year’s Mid-Season Invitational. That event would normally be held shortly after the spring split ended, however, COVID-19 has forced a change of plans. The Mid-Season Invitational will now be held in July.
League of Legends Championship Series Spring Split Playoffs
| Date | Time (EST) |
Event | Network(s) |
| April 8 |
4 p.m. |
100 Thieves vs. TSM (Match 4) |
ESPN App |
| April 11 |
4 p.m. |
Evil Geniuses vs. Cloud9 |
ESPN2 |
| April 12 |
4 p.m. |
Flyquest vs. Winner Match 4 |
ESPN2 |
| April 18 |
4 p.m. |
Third Place Match Up |
ESPN2 |
| April 19 |
TBD | LCS Spring Split Championship |
ESPN2 |
Looking for something to do while under quarantine? Check out the Shutdown Showdown! It’s a charity APEX Legends tournament benefiting No Kid Hungry. The tournaments are running on Tuesdays throughout April with proceeds going to charity. It’s just $10 to enter and you can enter solo or with your friends. Check it out here!
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