Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium to host esports events in Twitch tie-up
The National Football League’s (NFL) Oakland Raiders have named Amazon-owned live video streaming platform Twitch as the latest founding partner of their new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The deal, which starts in 2020 when the Raiders move to their new home, will see Twitch have a branded lounge in the lower level of the 65,000-seater stadium. The space will have streamer stations and viewing screens, while it will also host esports competitions and future Twitch events.
An official release added that the aim of the partnership is to make Las Vegas ‘the global hub for esports’.
“Being a founding partner at Allegiant Stadium is a perfect opportunity for Twitch to converge our passionate gaming and live esports community with the world of traditional sports,” said Sara Clemens, chief operating officer at Twitch. “As part of our long-term vision for multiplayer entertainment, we are excited to elevate the spectator experience at live events in the heart of the entertainment capital of the world.”
The deal with Twitch will also support the Raiders in their aim to stage 46 annual events at Allegiant Stadium. The venue is already slated to hold the 2020 and 2021 editions of US college sports’ Pac-12 Conference Football Championship Game, as well as the 2020 Las Vegas Bowl.
“We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Twitch as the official streaming platform of the Raiders and Allegiant Stadium,” added Raiders president, Marc Badain. “The Twitch Lounge will elevate the spectator experience for Raiders fans in a brand new way — bridging the connection between fans in the stadium and at home unlike ever before.”
The agreement, which was brokered by Legends Global Partnerships, the ticketing and sponsorships agency for Allegiant Stadium, is the latest founding partnership to be announced for the new venue.
Other founding partners of the stadium include financial services companies Credit One Bank and America First Credit Union, Wi-Fi and internet provider Cox Communications and American airline Allegiant, which took the naming rights to the venue.