Activision Blizzard has finalised a deal that makes YouTube its “exclusive worldwide third-party provider” for livestreaming.
The “multi-year strategic relationship to power new player experiences” sees Google Cloud serve as the “preferred provider for Activision Blizzard’s game hosting infrastructure”, and YouTube as its “exclusive streaming partner worldwide”, excluding China.
This means YouTube, not Twitch, will host the live broadcasts of the inaugural Call of Duty League season when it kicks off on 24th January, as well as Overwatch League’s 2020 season, which starts on February 8th.
The details of the deal weren’t specified, but by comparison, a similar deal Activision struck with Twitch in 2018 was thought to be worth around $90 million (thanks SportsBusiness Journal, via PC Gamer). Google says Activision Blizzard “turned to Google Cloud because of its highly reliable global footprint, advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and commitment to open source, creating a platform for building future gaming innovations”.
It’s a massive deal for YouTube, which has been struggling to compete with streaming industry leaders Twitch and Mixer.
“This is an exciting year for Activision Blizzard Esports as we head into the inaugural season of Call of Duty League and our first ever season of homestands for Overwatch League all around the world,” said Pete Vlastelica, CEO of Activision Blizzard Esports.