Twitch and Blizzard Entertainment Team Up to Bring Epic Esports Content to Fans and Legendary Loot to Twitch Prime
June 20 2017 - 3:00PM
Business Wire
Blizzard signs third-party live streaming media
rights deal with Twitch for more than 20 major Blizzard esports
events through 2018
Twitch Prime members to receive loot for
popular Blizzard games, beginning June 20 with a guaranteed
Legendary Loot Box item for Overwatch®
Social video platform Twitch and internationally acclaimed game
developer and publisher Blizzard Entertainment today announced a
two-year worldwide collaboration that includes third-party live
streaming rights to select Blizzard esports content, as well as
special game content for Twitch Prime subscribers. Through this
collaboration, Twitch will have the third-party rights for
streaming many of Blizzard’s biggest esports events through 2018.
As the premier social video platform and community for gamers, fans
can look forward to watching and interacting with top-tier
competitive gaming content from Blizzard while benefiting from a
convenient, consistent, and reliable viewing experience on Twitch.
In addition, Twitch Prime gamers will rake in several stellar perks
for their favorite Blizzard games.
As the first part of this landmark license deal, Blizzard is
licensing third-party streaming-platform rights to Twitch for a
range of Hearthstone®, Heroes of the Storm®, World of Warcraft®,
StarCraft® II, and Overwatch® esports content.* The deal, which
reflects Blizzard and Twitch’s long-term investment and ongoing
commitment to their passionate communities, supports the
world-class competitive ecosystem across all of Blizzard’s esports
properties. This includes the following programs and comprises more
than 20 major individual events:
- Heroes of the Storm Global Championship
(HGC)
- StarCraft II World Championship Series
(WCS Circuit)
- Hearthstone Championship Tour
(HCT)
- Hearthstone Global Games (HGG)
- World of Warcraft Arena
Championship
- Overwatch APEX League
- Overwatch Premier Series
For the second part of the collaboration, Twitch Prime members
in over 200 countries and territories will get special in-game loot
and deals for Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm.
Starting on June 20 and running through August 10, current and new
Twitch Prime members will receive a Golden Loot Box for Overwatch,
containing a guaranteed legendary item for one of the game’s heroes
along with three additional in-game items, such as emotes, voice
lines, or character skins. Over the coming months, Twitch Prime
members will receive 10 additional Overwatch loot boxes containing
more in-game content. Overwatch players can learn more at
https://twitch.amazon.com/overwatch. Similar promotions will begin
later this year for Heroes of the Storm and Hearthstone
players.
"We founded Twitch as a gaming platform heavily based on our
community's reaction to games like Blizzard’s StarCraft II,"
said Kevin Lin, COO, Twitch. "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."
“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,”
said Frank Pearce, chief product officer and co-founder of Blizzard
Entertainment. “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.”
Twitch Prime features in-game benefits available to Amazon Prime
and Prime Video members worldwide. For more information visit
www.twitchprime.com.
About Twitch
Twitch is the world’s leading social video platform and
community for gamers. Each day, millions of community members
gather to watch, talk, and chat about shared interests. Twitch’s
video platform is the backbone of both live and on-demand
distribution for all types of content, including the entire video
game ecosystem, the creative arts, vlogging (IRL), and more. Twitch
also runs TwitchCon, the annual convention for celebrating the
Twitch community. For more information about Twitch, visit our
Press Center, Twitter feed (#Twitch), and Blog.
About Blizzard Entertainment
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft®,
Hearthstone®, Overwatch®, the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®
franchises, and the multi-franchise Heroes of the Storm®, Blizzard
Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision
Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of
entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s
most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track
record includes twenty-one #1 games and multiple Game of the Year
awards. The company’s online-gaming service is one of the largest
in the world, with millions of active players.
* Some exceptions apply with regard to certain regions and
languages, and digital platforms associated with linear-media
rights holders.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements: Information in this press release that involves
Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions, or
strategies regarding the future, including statements
about the third-party streaming-platform license
with Twitch, including the covered programs and
events and the Twitch Prime member in-game benefits,
are forward-looking statements that are not facts and
involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that
could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to
differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking
statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product
delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of
Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and
any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking
statements in this release are based upon information available to
Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of
this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision
Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when
made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not
guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or
Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and
other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause
actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170620005229/en/
TwitchChase, 415-810-0995PR
Directorchase@twitch.tv@chasejustchaseorBlizzard EntertainmentRob
Hilburger, 949-242-8404VP, Global
Communicationsrhilburger@blizzard.com
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