【Bayo】

One of the more high-profile televised esports tournaments is Bayopacking up its stuff and moving to Facebook.

The spring 2017 Heroes of the Dorm collegiate tournament for Blizzard Entertainment's Heroes of the Stormwill appear exclusively on the social network after two consecutive years of ESPN2 broadcasts. The full season and its national championship will be watchable on Facebook Live.

Heroes of the Stormis an arena battle game not unlike League of Legends, but starring characters from Blizzard's games catalog. The upcoming tournament sees college teams from the U.S. and Canada competing for a piece of a $500,000 prize pool of scholarships and other prizes.

For Blizzard, the move from ESPN2 to Facebook carries the promise of increased visibility. It's the difference between a paid cable service and a free-for-all social network, with the added benefit of interactive features like live chat and easy access to stats on the game's website.

The regular season's group stages kick off on Feb. 15, with the regional finals set for March 8 and 9. The Heroic Four and championship finals matches conclude the season on April 8.

Eligible teams can sign up on the tournament's official website starting Jan. 26.

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