Activision Blizzard, Google Announce Multi-year Strategic Relationship

Activision Blizzard (ATVI) and Google (GOOGL) announced a multi-year strategic relationship to "power new player experiences."

Google Cloud will serve as the preferred provider for Activision Blizzard's game hosting infrastructure and YouTube as its exclusive streaming partner worldwide, excluding China, for live broadcasts of its esports leagues and events - including Overwatch League, Call of Duty League, Hearthstone Esports, and more.

Beginning this week, YouTube will host the official live broadcasts of Activision Blizzard's popular esports leagues and events including the newly created Call of Duty League, Overwatch League, Hearthstone Esports, and more. The inaugural Call of Duty League season kicks off on Friday, January 24, with 12 teams competing in Minnesota, and the Overwatch League's 2020 season will follow on February 8. All competitions will be livestreamed on each league's YouTube channel and will include archived and other special content.