How streaming is taking esports to the big leagues

Streaming and esports have been intertwined through their history. As the esports industry evolves to more resemble traditional sports, companies are starting to invest in exclusive streaming partnerships. These days, it’s becoming common to see certain events on specific platforms, such as the Capcom Pro Tour streamed exclusively on Twitch.  Last week, Disney put their foot to the pedal with another $1.58 billion investment into BAMTech, MLB’s streaming service that has a stake in Riot Games. Disney says that we can expect to see an ESPN-branded multi-sport streaming service by 2018. Let’s take a look at what arrangements Disney, Blizzard, and Stream.Me have made that’s changing the esports viewing experience.

Disney and BAMTech

Riot Games announced last year that it was joining up with BAMTech to help monetize League of Legends, one of the most popular esports titles in the world. According to Disney-owned ESPN, the $300 million investment would give BAMTech streaming rights through 2023, and they’d be able to distribute to platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. At that point, Disney already owned 33 percent of BAMTech with a $1 billion investment. With last week’s money thrown in the pot, they’re not the majority owners with a 42 percent stake.