Call of Duty and Overwatch leagues will stream exclusively on YouTube in new Google deal

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Activision Blizzard esports leagues are moving from Twitch to YouTube

(Image credit: Activision)

Activision Blizzard has partnered up with Google in a deal that will move the Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Hearthstone eSports leagues to YouTube for exclusive streaming. Starting tonight with the Call of Duty League launch weekend, live broadcasts will use Google Cloud as a hosting infrastructure to "deliver superior, low-latency player experiences."

The multi-year deal moves Call of Duty League, Overwatch League, Hearthstone Esports, and more from Twitch over to YouTube. "The company turned to Google Cloud because of its highly reliable global footprint, advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and commitment to open source, creating a platform for building future gaming innovations," reads the press release.

Activision Blizzard says they struck a deal with Google for "its highly reliable global footprint, advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and commitment to open source, creating a platform for building future gaming innovations."

The two companies had previously worked together on Activision Blizzard mobile titles "to boost its analytics capabilities and overall player experience," said Sunil Rayan, Head of Gaming at Google Cloud. The new partnership will allow Activision Blizzard to employ Google Cloud's "AI tools to offer curated recommendations for in-game offers and differentiated gaming experiences."

It's unclear how any of this will affect viewer experience during livestreams of Activision Blizzard's eSports tournaments, but you only need to tune in to any one of the Call of Duty League matches kicking off tonight to find out.

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Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.