NBC Olympics and Twitch have announced a new partnership heading into the Tokyo Olympics 2021. In a bid to reach a bigger audience, viewers can expect to see coverage leading up to the Summer Olympics and during the Olympics on Twitch. According to a press release from the two companies, viewers can expect to see content specifically aimed at the Twitch community, including athlete gaming competitions. There will also be interactive tools and games for viewers to participate in. It seems like a bold deviation from normal Olympic coverage, and it will be interesting to see whether or not it results in greater viewership!
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In the press release, Twitch chief content officer Michael Aragorn discussed the partnership, and what it means for viewers.
“The way that people consume traditional sporting events is changing. They no longer want to simply spectate; they want to be as close to the action and athletes as possible. We’ve seen this firsthand with the growth of our sports community on Twitch, as viewers tune in not only to watch their favorite athletes but to also take part in pre and post-game interviews and virtually connect with other fans from around the world,” said Aragon. “The Olympics present an opportunity for a global fan base to embrace this new world of live and interactive sports. We are thrilled to partner with NBC to give fans in the United States an intimate, front row seat to this iconic sporting event and connect American athletes and fans in a way that can only happen on Twitch.”
Twitch’s Olympic coverage will include primetime sidecasting, where Twitch creators will commentate on the live events, encouraging viewers to tune in for NBC’s live coverage at the same time. There will also be Q&As, daily competitions with Twitch streamers, and an interactive clip show recapping some of the biggest moments of the day.
The move is a testament to the strength of the Twitch platform over just the last few years. Twitch’s viewership tends to skew younger, and it continues to see significant growth. It’s unclear whether or not the average Twitch viewer will tune in for Olympic coverage, but it should be a very interesting experiment. This could represent a big change from the way the games are traditionally aired, if successful.
Do you plan on tuning in for Olympic coverage on Twitch? What do you think of the partnership between Twitch and NBC Olympics? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!
