Turner Sports Lays Out Big Plans For CES Showcase

Turner Sports will have its largest footprint ever from CES 2016 in Las Vegas – part of an overall Turner presence throughout the week – including a daylong showcase at Tech West, Sands, Hall D on Thursday, January 7. 

Events will include Turner Sports’ live on-site event coverage of its first-ever Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Championship in partnership with WME | IMG, streamed live via the FACEIT Twitch Channel, along with the inaugural Sports Business Forum, presented by Turner Sports in partnership with NextVR, including a panel with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr.

Additionally, TNT’s Sports Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA – with host Ernie Johnson and analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal – will be televised live from CES.

The full rundown of events in chronological order (all times local):

Sports Business Forum presented by Turner Sports in Partnership with NextVR
8:30 a.m.-Noon PT
The inaugural Sports Business Forum, presented by Turner Sports – in partnership with NextVR, CTA and Foxrock Partners – will bring together leading executives and personalities to discuss innovations associated with the in-person viewing experience and general consumption of sports content.  The panel discussions will also highlight the investment landscape for sports business and the marketplace influence of new technologies.  In addition to partnering with Turner Sports for the Sports Business Forum, NextVR’s immersive virtual reality technology will be featured on site and during studio show programming.

Panels will include:

• NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., discussing ways technology is evolving the sports marketplace and each of their respective businesses.
• Team owners including Vivek Ranadive (Sacramento Kings) sharing insights into ways they are leveraging technology to deliver more personalized experiences and deeper levels of engagement.
• Leading entrepreneurs including TNT’s Shaquille O’Neal and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will highlight the technology that is shaping future sports experiences, as well as where they expect to see the greatest returns.
• Media industry executives on the evolution of digital and mobile video platforms and the impact on sports content delivery and consumption.

eSports Showcase featuring Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Championship
12:30-3 p.m. PT

Turner Sports and WME | IMG will present an eSports showcase with live event coverage of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Championship from CES in Las Vegas.  This live event will mark the first foray into eSports through the recently announced partnership between Turner Sports and WME | IMG.  Two of the best CS:GO teams in the world will square off, competing in a best-of-three championship round. The winner will receive a prize pool and an invitation to participate in the newly formed “ELEAGUE,” the Turner Sports and WME | IMG competitive gaming league set to debut later in 2016.  In addition to the on-site event experience at CES, fans will be able to watch live streaming coverage of the CS:GO Championship via the FACEIT Twitch Channel.

TNT’s Inside the NBA Live from CES
Beginning at 4 p.m. PT
TNT’s award-winning Inside the NBA studio team of host Johnson and analysts Barkley, Smith and O’Neal will be on site at CES.  The popular NBA studio show will be televised live from the Hall D show floor with pre-game coverage beginning at 4 p.m. local time, leading into TNT’s NBA doubleheader.  The iconic team of Johnson, Barkley, Smith and O’Neal will continue with halftime updates and full post-game coverage throughout the evening.