YouTube To Become The Exclusive Platform For Overwatch And Call of Duty League

Google and Activision Blizzard, a video game publisher, have recently inked a multiyear contract which states that all the game hosting and other technical requirements of the publisher will be powered by the cloud platform of the search giant.

However, a more relevant piece of news to users is the deal that Google-owned YouTube will be the exclusive platform for huge e-sports games of Activision Blizzard inc, including Call of Duty League and Overwatch League, which is happening as we speak. As you may know, among Activision Blizzard games, Call of Duty is by far the most well-known.

This exclusive contract is a turning point for YouTube as it has been struggling for years to win over Twitch, the now leader of game streaming. The platform’s position as the largest video platform in the world and the second-most visited website, behind Google search itself, do not seem to help much in this competition.

The first two seasons of the Overwatch League have seen Twitch being the exclusive streaming platform. And gamers have long regarded it as the go-to place for their game entertainment needs.

However, things are changing in favor of its competitor YouTube, thanks to the company’s effort to win deals like this and secure talents.

The company did try to venture into the realm of gaming before. Back in 2015, it launched YouTube Gaming as part of its ecosystem but the plan failed to meet the company’s expectations for it. The failure has even affect YouTube itself, so much so that earlier this year, the standalone YouTube Gaming app was shut down because it caused distraction among users.

The app is gone but YouTube does not want to forfeit the vast market of gaming, so in its place, it creates a dedicated hub where users can find all of the related videos and live streams.

The live stream market is appealing to any company so there is no way YouTube gives up on it, even after the failure of YouTube Gaming.

In the last few months, exclusive deals like that with Activision Blizzard have been signed, with partners like Lachlan Power and Jack “CouRage” Dunlop. YouTube still holds firmly its position as the top spot for prerecorded footages.

While several streamers still find Twitch to be a more suitable platform to stream, many of them still maintain their appearance on YouTube by posting all of their highlight videos and vlogs there. Another competitor of YouTube is Mixer, which is gaining its momentum. In fact, a star of Fortnite, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, has decided to pick it.

There is an ongoing war among the online video platform and the exclusive deal with Activision Blizzard is the latest update we have on it. The involving parties are not companies like Twitch, Mixer, and YouTube alone, but are also content creators, network and cable firms, and streaming services.

It is Google and Amazon behind this competition and Facebook is developing its own streaming platform to monetize the huge gaming market. And if you pay attention, you will soon see other streaming giants like Netflix, Disney, and HBO take part in the war.

According to Ryan Wyatt, head of gaming at YouTube, the platform boasts 200 million gamers watching over 50 billion hours of game-related content each day.

He also said that both Call of Duty League and Overwatch League were the prime example of world-class content. Wyatt, as a former commentator of Call of Duty esports, expressed his excitement as YouTube being chosen by Activision Blizzard as the exclusive platform to host the two leagues.

Activision Blizzard stock price stands at $59.40 as we speak.

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