The NBA has a new broadcast partner that will be very familiar to anyone who plays video games. The NBA announced on Wednesday that the G League will have its games broadcast on Twitch, a streaming video site known for its live plays and let’s watch videos for various console and computer games.
The newly-rebranded developmental league will have up to six of its games on Twitch per week. But the deal is not just to show games in their standard format we’re all used to on TV. The NBA and Twitch have big plans to change the way fans watch, and interact, with the games itself.
Twitch’s draw is not just to watch people play video games, but also treat the games like broadcasts themselves. That includes commentating on matches, interacting with viewers, and providing additional information, context, to the game itself. That’s something both partners seem to want to emulate with basketball here.
“Our deal with Twitch will be groundbreaking,” said NBA G League President Malcolm Turner said in a release. “By leveraging fan commentary, new technology and a passionate community, Twitch elevates video in a unique, engaging way that resonates with young viewers. We look forward to collaborating with their team to create something truly special for basketball fans.”
According to the Washington Post, the deal will start with certain Twitch channels allowing commentary and additional information on its broadcasts, with the goal being adding other users to the streams to change the way the broadcast itself is done.
It will allow users to “co-stream” – which would allow users to, among other things, show the feed of the game while talking about it, much like a regular play-by-play of a game. Others watching the stream can then comment on the broadcast as it is going on.
Twitch will also create an extension for the G League, which will allow fans to, among other things, access stats for players or teams from both the game and the entire G League season.
Initially, it will just be these prominent users that are able to do this. Over time, however, the plan is for it to be rolled out to the wider Twitch community.
The NBA has seemed excited about this possibility for a while, and Adam Silver has even spoken about the limitations of a traditional TV broadcast at some talks over the summer. With the league’s 2K initiative getting fleshed out as well, it seems like the Association is committed to making digital partnerships a part of the league’s broader goals in the coming years. Whether that means integration in the actual NBA is yet to be determined, but it’s clear the G League, for now, will be interesting breeding ground for this kind of deal moving forward.
