Twitch and Blizzard Entertainment have announced a two-year worldwide collaboration.
The streaming giant and acclaimed game developer’s deal includes third-party streaming rights to select Blizzard esports content, as well as offering game content to users who are Twitch Prime subscribers. The third party streaming-platform rights include a range of Blizzard’s games including “Overwatch,” “Hearthstone,” “World of Warcraft,” “Heroes of the Storm,” and “StarCraft II.”
Twitch streamers can expect coverage from the Heroes of the Storm Global Championship, StarCraft II World Championship Series, Hearthstone Championship Tour, Hearthstone Global Games, World of Warcraft Arena Championship, Overwatch APEX League, and the Overwatch Premiere Series.
“We founded Twitch as a gaming platform heavily based on our community’s reaction to games like Blizzard’s ‘StarCraft II,'” Twitch COO Kevin Lin said. “Since then, our large, but tight-knit community, our constantly evolving suite of interactive features, and a native emote-driven chat language celebrated by viewers enable us to support and grow Blizzard esports in a manner that best serves our collective fans. This includes providing Blizzard fans with exclusive in-game content for those who subscribe to Twitch Prime, another defining and cherished component of our brand.”
That special in-game loot can be expected for “Overwatch,” “Hearthstone,” and “Heroes of the Storm.” Starting Tuesday and running through Aug. 10, new and current Twitch Prime subscribers will receive a Golden Loot Box — essentially a collection of in-game items — for “Overwatch.” Members can expect 10 additional loot boxes in the coming months.
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“We’ve had great experiences and a long history of working with Twitch, and we’re thrilled that this landmark agreement with them will help us bring some of the most exciting esports action in the world to Twitch fans and everyone who follows Blizzard esports,” chief product officer and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment Frank Pearce added in a statement. “Our esports communities are vital to us. We know there are millions of people out there who love Blizzard esports as much as we do, and we’re committed to making sure they’ll be able to cheer on their favorite players in all of their favorite Blizzard games for a long time to come.”
