The NBA 2K League kicks off on the 1st of May, and 2K Games desperately wants you, the viewer, to take some time out of your day to watch it on Twitch. Both the NBA 2K League and Twitch announced today that there would be a multiyear partnership between them, meaning that Twitch will be airing live streams of every NBA 2K League game. With how Twitch is dominating even YouTube at providing viewers their favorite eSports, we can’t say we’re surprised that the NBA 2K League is partnering up with the video-streaming website.
Earlier in the month, Twitch aired the NBA 2K League’s initial draft, during which each of the 17 teams in the league picked a roster of six players that they felt best suited their team. There already has been a number of seasons for NBA 2K, as well as three in-season tournaments and playoffs, all of which have been streamed by Twitch. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that it seems Twitch is committed to live streaming over 190 games this year, and thankfully each match is viewable on-demand later on.
Justin Dellario, Twitch head of eSports programs, had this to say about the partnership. “From video games to real games, the NBA continues to innovate around basketball when it comes to engaging with the Twitch community.” He continued, “by partnering with Twitch for the NBA 2K League, that pioneering spirit will continue to be reflected when we elevate this latest entry to the world of competitive gaming with interactive features and our global stage.”
Twitch truly seems to be growing larger and more popular with influencers with each passing day, so it comes as no surprise that NBA 2K has joined forces with Twitch in order to boost viewership. We hope to see more news about the NBA 2K League games soon, but until then we’ll just have to wait for May 1st just like everyone else.