The events of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo will be streamed on Twitch, and to add an interactive element, teams on the platform will be able to earn "medals" for participating.
Blimey, it wasn't like this when I was young. There also wasn't a pandemic when I was young, one that has ravaged the world's population and caused one of the most severe economic declines in recent memory, so let's cut the whippersnappers some slack, eh? As per Sports Business Journal's report, the official NBC Olympics Twitch channel has been borne of a collaboration between (you guessed it) NBC and Twitch, and the former has been securing Olympics coverage through Snap Inc., Twitter, and NowThis in preparation of the event. Beginning on July 16th, it is planned to comprise over 150 hours of programming on the platform, and this is divided into "athlete interviews, gamified pre-Olympics activations, highlight studio shows and Olympic-themed gaming competitions."
Check out these excellent livestream highlights and memorable moments in our compilation below. Maybe our next one will include IRL victories from the 2020 Olympic Games.
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"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," said Michael Aragorn, chief content officer at Twitch, in a statement. So, I know you're here for those sweet, sweet medals, and I'll tell you how they'll be divvied out. Over the 17 days of the Olympic Games, there will be daily competitions between three teams led by Twitch content creators. They'll take part in family-friendly games and the winners will earn their team "medals" in those events. Additionally, there will be "interactive tools" to keep the Olympic torch aflame by collecting items and chatting, ready for the Opening Ceremony.
Furthermore, the "Daily Interactive Clip Show" will show the highlights of that particular day's events through "games, live ask me anything sessions and polls." Primetime sidecasting will also allow Twitch talent to comment on interactive broadcasts and encourage viewers to submit discussion topics to anchors and guests based on what is happening on NBC's core Olympic Games coverage. And, the "Live From Tokyo" section offers fans athlete interviews, behind-the-scenes snapshots, live interactions and question-and-answer sessions with competitors.
NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel expressed that they were "thrilled" with the upcoming content that will be available through this collaboration. "The Olympic Games are perfectly aligned with Twitch consumers, who are passionate about great competition, personality and storytelling. We can't wait to bring the unmatched moments and stories of the Olympics to Twitch's interactive community," they said.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay via Pexels, Sega Sports R&D, Sega