Twitch's Overwatch League Broadcast Deal Reportedly Cost A Ton Of Money
Twitch recently announced that it has secured exclusive broadcasting rights for the Overwatch League, and a new report asserts that the deal cost a pretty big sum of money. The streaming service apparently spent $90 million on getting broadcast exclusivity for the much-anticipated esports league over the next two seasons.
The number comes by way of Sports Business Daily, which also reported that this likely makes the deal the biggest in esports history. With the deal, Twitch becomes the exclusive third-party platform for viewing matches; half of this season will also air on MLG.tv, Overwatch publisher Activision-Blizzard's first-party streaming service.
The report also states that some of the $90 million may be for other agreements beyond just streaming rights. Twitch also announced that it would work with Activision to develop rewards and programs for fans, which is possibly covered under the $90 million deal.
Overwatch League is one of the most formalized esports leagues in existence. It features teams centered on cities rather than esports organizations, and some teams have connections to existing professional sports clubs. The first match goes live on January 10 at 4PM PST when the San Francisco Shock take on the Los Angeles Valiant, and these can be streamed on overwatchleague.com, Twitch's website, or at mlg.tv.
To celebrate the event's launch, an Overwatch update has added a bunch of new Overwatch skins. To learn more about Overwatch League, check out GameSpot's other coverage below:
- Here Is How, Where, And When You Can Catch Overwatch League
- Everything You Need To Know About Overwatch League
from GameSpot http://ift.tt/2Et9tbE