2017 was a year which saw unprecedented growth in esports. This week saw one of the biggest exclusive distribution deal in the history of esports being made when Twitch purchasing the exclusive broadcasting rights for the Overwatch League for $90 Million. Twitch will broadcast all regular season and postseason content for the Overwatch League when it begins on Jan. 10. Likewise, Twitch and Blizzard have collaborated in creating in-game rewards to build players engagement who watched over the course of the season. As one of the major leagues in esports, this deal is unprecedented, meaning that followers will now be able to see full coverage on one platform only. As esports continues to grow global popularity as well as gaining more interest from global brands, it is yet to be seen where esports will go in 2018.
ICYMI: Twitch reportedly paid $90 million for Overwatch League broadcasting rights:https://t.co/QH4yNrM93b pic.twitter.com/1e9vqeSBtd
— Dot Esports (@DotEsports) January 11, 2018
Yesterday saw the 8th yearly NBA fixture in London play out to a sell-out crowd in the O2 arena. Over the past decade, the corporation has worked hard to grow its global reach. One way to achieve this has been through playing overseas games. This year saw the first time the organisation scheduled a blockbuster fixture with the Boston Celtics facing off against the Philadelphia 76ers. The NBA has been globally adored for some time. Europe has seen a substantial expansion in fans over the years. One way in which the association has managed to achieve this is through creating engaging content that is released in the UK time zone as well as using fan engagement tools. In the lead up to the game, video content which included players on both teams participating in a range of branded activations was released on social channels to build awareness.
How the NBA is growing its global reach through scheduling a blockbuster fixture between the @celtics and the @sixers #NBALondonhttps://t.co/db7p7EJWrB
— Snack Media (@snackmedia) January 11, 2018
Over the last few years Live Streaming has seen growth at an exceptional rate, with online media organisation like Amazon, Facebook and Twitter all signing high profile broadcasting deals with a range of sports and leagues. Online streaming is providing sports associations with an alternative to linear TV, an idea which has started to gain serious traction. We have previously written about how live-streaming brings coverage of sports fixtures to you wherever you are, but there is also another positive to live-streaming. Sports which don’t have the same mass appeal, live-streaming is a window into a new world. The ability for an event to be beamed all over the world gives an opportunity for every sport to gain a wider global reach by broadcasting on these platforms themselves. Digital Sport will be holding an event on the effects of OTT and what the global ramifications will be over the coming year.
The big OTT trends are just the tip of the iceberg – the rest is more important https://t.co/mTIUCpWaU8
— Snack Media (@snackmedia) January 12, 2018
The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea has experienced a range of battles leading up to the opening ceremony on February 9th. One area which has gained a significant amount of negative headlines is the lacklustre ticket sales. As of December 2017, only 55% of their sales target had been sold. A few reasons have caused slow sales, the main one being political uncertainty with North Korea. Another is the travel time it would have taken to get from Seoul. This is where one of South Korea best transport improvements will come into effect via introducing a new high-speed rail link. This travel improvement will now allow individuals to travel from the capital to Pyeongchang in just 67 minutes compared to the previous three hours. It is hoped that with the new rail link, ticket sales will start to pick up and help them reach their sales target of 1.06 million. Many hope that the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang will be the best in some time, only time will tell but there are no doubt viewers will be witnesses some spectacular high flying action.
With the 2018 Winter Olympics just around the corner, we look at how South Korea’s Olympic committee has battled to provide the best experience possible. #PyeongChang2018https://t.co/2rNAUDS9kM
— Snack Media (@snackmedia) January 9, 2018
