- According to reports, Activision Blizzard and Chinese video platform Bilibili have entered a mutually beneficial partnership
- As a part of that reported deal, Bilibili will receive exclusive broadcasting rights for the Overwatch League in China
- Although the current deal is unconfirmed, it isn’t unlikely as Bilibili has been steadily growing
Activision Blizzard and Bilibili reportedly establish a partnership that grants the latter exclusive broadcast rights for broadcasting the Overwatch League and China.
New Partnership Opportunities for OWL in China
Bilibili has signed a deal with Activision Blizzard, reports say. According to them, the Chinese video broadcasting platform will receive exclusive rights to broadcast the Overwatch League.
This was announced in a report by The Esports Observer. According to the journalists’ report, the monetary aspect of the deal was not revealed. However, the benefits Bilibili has received with the broadcasting rights include the development of commercial interests and support to distribute the Overwatch League in the region.
This isn’t unlikely as Bilibili already owns an OWL team (Hangzhou Spark) and has been partnering with Activision Blizzard for a while, replacing Banana Culture in 2020. Moreover, the video-sharing platform has been previously granted the rights to host official OWL events in China, namely the Overwatch Contenders and the Overwatch Open Division.
To top it, Bilibili already has already established itself in the Chinese market. Since it was founded in 2010, the site, which focuses on gaming, comics, and animation, has been steadily growing as one of the rulers of Chinese video platforms. And speaking of broadcasting rights, Bilibili currently owns the exclusive broadcasting rights for all-important League of Legends global events until 2023.
The fourth season of the OWL started on April 16 and is divided into two groups. The East division is comprised of the following Chinese and South Korean teams:
- Seoul Dynasty
- Philadelphia Fusion
- Chengdu Hunters
- Guangzhou Charge
- Hangzhou Spark
- Shanghai Dragons
- Los Angeles Valiant
- New York Excelsior
If the reports are correct, that would indeed be favorable for Bilibili, which will continue strengthening its positions in the region’s esports field. As the fan-beloved live LAN events will slowly make a return in Activision’s Call of Duty and Overwatch, interest will surely ramp up.
