BAMTech, the streaming division of Major League Baseball, has reportedly inked a deal with Riot Games to stream League of Legends tournaments. According to the report, this deal will see the streaming division pay up at least $300 million to Riot through 2023 for the privilege of being able to broadcast League of Legends tournaments. As many of you might be aware, Riot Games is a subsidiary of Tencent, a media conglomerate based in China.
This deal will also see BAMTech helping Riot launch a dedicated streaming app in 2018. It’s also going to be tasked with handling distribution and monetization of League tournaments even on third-party platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
BAMTech is no small player. It looks after the entire digital backend for the National Hockey League, the Professional Golfers’ Association as well as major streaming services like HBO Now. It goes without saying that BAMTech knows what it’s doing.
The report from The Wall Street Journal mentions that revenues generated from advertising and sponsorships associated with League of Legends tournaments will be shared by BAMTech and Riot Games.
This partnership enables Riot to establish its own streaming platform effectively and no longer be limited to third-party platforms like YouTube and Twitch. It would also enable Riot to further expand viewership for League of Legends tournaments as esports continue to gain popularity.
Riot may not charge viewers who tune in for the tournaments. However, it may charge them for premium add-ons. This deal is reportedly going to be announced officially in the near future.
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