NWHL partners with Twitch on 3-year deal, players to get 50 pct of revenue

National Women’s Hockey League has partnered with onan exclusive three-year streaming deal. As part of this agreement, the players will receive 50 percent of all revenue from the deal.


Devdiscourse News Desk | New York | Updated: 05-09-2019 20:39 IST | Created: 05-09-2019 20:27 IST
NWHL partners with Twitch on 3-year deal, players to get 50 pct of revenue
Image Credit: Pixabay
  • Country:
  • United States

The National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) announced on Thursday that it has signed a three-year deal with Twitch for exclusive streaming from which the players will get 50 percent of all revenue.

The three-year agreement, which NWHL called "a monumental step for professional women’s hockey" makes Twitch – the world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers and the things they love – the exclusive live-streaming partner of the NWHL.

Head of New Verticals at Twitch, Jane Weedon said, “With its accessible players and devoted fans, the NWHL is a perfect fit for Twitch in our global efforts to grow our traditional sports verticals. We are proud to partner with the league in its mission to build the professional women's hockey league the athletes and fans deserve."

Beginning with the 2019-20 season starting October 5, Twitch will stream all NWHL regular season, Isobel Cup Playoff and special event games. The league and Twitch will collaborate on innovative content that increases the deep connection between NWHL players and fans. Twitch will also work closely with the NWHL to provide new fan engagement opportunities that enhance the live game viewing experience.

All NWHL games and programming will be available on Twitch at www.twitch.tv/nwhl. Fans will be able to watch every NWHL game, free of charge, from anywhere, on any device. Best of all, they will be able to engage with other fans throughout the games, and–at times–with the players, broadcasters, and other NWHL influencers.

In addition, the NWHL is receiving a broadcast rights fee for the first time in its young history. As part of the NWHL-NWHL Players’ Association agreement, revenue from this exclusive streaming partnership with Twitch will be split in half with NWHL players, which will result in additional income beyond their salaries for playing.

“The official announcement of our partnership with Twitch makes this a historic day for the NWHL, our players, fans and everyone who supports the advancement of women’s hockey,” said NWHL Commissioner Dani Rylan, who started the league in 2015.

“The live broadcasts of every single NWHL game on Twitch will allow us to both foster and grow our current community while introducing professional hockey to a new audience for the first time. Twitch's platform also provides our fans and players the unique opportunity to collaborate on the viewing experience.”

"NWHL Players’ Association executive director Anya Battaglino said, “I am extremely proud that the innovators at Twitch are moving forward alongside us. This is a huge step for women’s hockey. Getting visibility in professional women’s hockey has been extremely important.

"The more eyes on the women’s game, the more fans we convert. Women’s hockey is at a monumental time right now, and the more we can showcase this product, the stronger our foundation becomes. The NWHLPA is excited to have our players highlighted around the world, and for fans of the game to have even deeper access to us.”

Twitch has more than 15 million active daily users and its free mobile app has over 56 million downloads. The versatile platform has broadcasting arrangements with other professional sports leagues, including the NFL and the NBA G League.

Give Feedback