Bilibili signs multi-year agreement with Activision Blizzard

Chinese streaming platform Bilibili has entered into a multi-year strategic partnership with Overwatch League (OWL) owner Activision Blizzard, which includes Chinese production and broadcasting of the league rights in China, further developing commercial interests, and supporting the promotion of OWL in the region.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In addition, Bilibili has confirmed that it has received the exclusive broadcast distribution rights in China for OWL. It should be noted that Bilibili also holds the same rights to Riot Games' international League of Legends competitions, including the League of Legends World Championship, Mid-Season Invitational, and All-Star. The deal is part of a three-year strategic partnership between Riot Games and Bilibili that was signed in 2020.

Note that during last year's World Championship, the streaming platform monetized broadcasting rights by sharing them with other platforms such as DouYu, Huya, and Penguin Esports at an undisclosed price.

Interestingly, even before the partnership agreement was signed, Bilibili obtained the rights to host the Overwatch Contenders and the Overwatch Open Division in China.