BBC creating LEC documentary following EXCEL, narrated by Cillian Murphy

Adam Fitch
EXCEL Documentary BBC

Major British broadcasting company BBC are set to release a five-part documentary following UK esports organization EXCEL ESPORTS.

The series, named ‘Fight for First: EXCEL ESPORTS,’ follows the org’s team in the European League of Legends competition LEC throughout the 2020 Spring Split.

The documentary is narrated by Cillian Murphy, an actor who’s been nominated for awards at the Golden Globes and BAFTA, and will be broadcast on BBC iPlayer in early 2021.

In 2020’s Spring Split, EXCEL finished in seventh place — narrowly missing out on a spot in the playoffs with a record of seven wins and 11 losses.

Dele Alli Excel esports
Dele Alli recently joined the growing list of footballers getting involved in the esports scene by partnering with EXCEL.

The description for the upcoming documentary will shed light on the “deep-rooted” reasons that the players compete as they are “navigating the growing pains of adulting, living away from home, love, new friendships, and fame.”

November 2020 was a busy month for the organization, not only changing their logo and ethos to represent “The Power of Better” but announcing that Tottenham Hotspur and England national footballer Dele Alli had joined as their first global ambassador.

Dexerto spoke with CEO Wouter Sleijffers at the time of the announcements to understand the need for change and what the future of EXCEL looks like.

“My sons love gaming,” said Cillian Murphy. “When I showed them the trailer for this, they said I had to do it. Being involved in Fight For First has been a great experience and there is so much more to professional gaming than I ever thought. It has opened up a whole new world to me and this series provides a proper insight into a fascinating, global industry.”

BBC picked up more esports programming just in November, acquiring the rights to broadcast Counter-Strike competition BLAST Premier for the remainder of the 2020 season. In 2020 alone, the media giant has also shown Rocket League and sim racing.

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About The Author

Based in Lincolnshire, UK, Adam Fitch is a leading business journalist covering the esports industry. Formerly the lead business reporter at Dexerto, he demystified the competitive gaming industry and and spoke to its leaders. He previously served as the editor of Esports Insider.