ESPN networks to carry 'Dota 2' championships

It appears e-sports have caught the attention of The Worldwide Leader in Sports.

Valve announced it is partnering with ESPN to broadcast The International Dota 2 Championships, which start in Seattle on July 18.

The tournament will be carried live through ESPN3, and an exclusive preview show highlighting The International's final match will appear on ESPN 2. It will also include highlights, analysis and interviews with players and Valve's Gabe Newell.

ESPN3 is available through smartphones and tablets and streaming devices including Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku and video game consoles Xbox One and Xbox 360.

"From the success of the Compendium to the collaboration with ESPN, this year's International really demonstrates how much competitive gaming has grown to rival traditional sports," said Valve's Erik Johnson in a statement.

The International was first held in 2011 in Cologne, Germany, and boasted a prize pool of $1 million. This year, the pool has ballooned to $10 million, the largest ever for a competitive gaming tournament, according to Valve.

The ESPN deal is another signal of the booming popularity in e-sports. Last year, strategy title League of Legends moved its championship to the Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the NBA's Lakers and Clippers and the NHL's Kings.

ESPN3 will start its broadcast of The International at 3 p.m. ET on Friday.

This isn't the first time ESPN has embraced e-sports. ESPN partnered with Major League Gaming to host a Call of Duty tournament during the X Games in Austin in June.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.