Can’t make it out to Los Angeles in a few days for Overwatch League’s All-Star Weekend?
You can now stream it, with the esports league signing a multi-year deal with Twitter on Thursday to share highlights and live content.
Twitter will also launch a weekly recap show next season titled “Watchpoint.” Fans will be able to catch “near real-time” highlights, as the two companies describe it, of each match during the regular season, playoffs, and All-Star Weekend on the @overwatchleague handle. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Twitter is where Overwatch League conversations happen and we’re thrilled to bring more content to the platform for several years,” Rishi Chadha, head of gaming partnerships at Twitter, said in a statement. “Overwatch League is one of the most Tweeted-about esports leagues on the platform, and this partnership will bolster that conversation.”
Overwatch League is Blizzard Entertainment’s attempt to replicate traditional North American sports leagues in an esports format, with teams based in several cities including New York, London, and Los Angeles. The London Spitfire grabbed the league’s first title last month, earning a $1 million prize to boot.
“From the inception of the Overwatch League, the community on Twitter has always been one of our most passionate and engaged,” Daniel Cherry, vice president and chief marketing officer for Activision Blizzard Esports Leagues, added in a statement. “That’s why we are particularly excited to announce this collaboration, beginning with the Overwatch League’s All-Star Weekend.”
The deal is the latest move by Twitter to make it a destination for sports. Twitter streamed live Thursday night NFL games in 2016 and has partnered with the NBA on weekly recap shows in the past. Twitter has also signed esports streaming deals in the past with Activision to broadcast Call of Duty matches.