South Korea-based tech conglomerate Samsung has long had ties with the video game industry, including distinct marketing events such as releasing multiple Fortnite crossover skins based on the Galaxy Note smartphone line. However, Samsung Electronics is planning to engrain itself even deeper into the competitive gaming scene through a new exclusivity deal with Twitch Rivals North America.
Twitch Rivals is an online tournament series pitting streamers against one another across various games, with its most recent event being a $75,000 duos competition in Call of Duty: Warzone hosted earlier today. Samsung and Twitch announced its year-long partnership on January 13, making Samsung Galaxy the "exclusive mobile device partner of Twitch Rivals North America," according to a Samsung press release.
Deadline reports this agreement was formalized through a Twitch Rivals broadcast held during the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 13. Among the components of this partnership are new Twitch Rivals Mobile Challenges, "crossover events" in which streamers will come together to play mobile games "for marquee entertainment moments;" as well as Mobile Mondays, a year-long tournament series offering cash prizes and "additional benefits for Galaxy and Twitch users."
Samsung's press release Wednesday also says the partners will debut "Mobile Gaming Heroes" later this year, individuals who will produce content, host exclusive streams, and participate in various Twitch Rivals-related events. The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event took place today, soon after this mobile partnership was announced, unveiling multiple new pieces of tech including the Samsung Galaxy S21 series of smartphones, as well as the Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds.
Despite occasional controversies involving its platform and creators, from an onslaught of DMCA takedowns in 2020 to the removal of the "PogChamp" emote following its model Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez' comments on the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week, Twitch continues to grow more as a streaming platform. Spanish streamer David "TheGrefg" Martinez recently shattered the platform's concurrent viewer record, with 2.4 million watchers tuning in to see him unveil the latest Fortnite Icon Series skin on January 11.
The gaming community has not always had positive reactions to exclusivity deals with regards to game platform and esports, as evidenced by the backlash to YouTube Gaming getting exclusive Call of Duty and Overwatch League streaming rights last year. It will be interesting to see whether the Samsung and Twitch Rivals partnership garners a similar reaction, or if its focus on mobile events will lead to more of a muted response.
In the meantime, partnerships between mobile games and both hardware and service providers will undoubtedly continue to crop up outside of Samsung and Twitch Rivals. Companies such as Verizon have also put their hats in the ring, as Verizon partnered with Niantic's AR mobile game Pokemon GO last October, offering players using the service exclusive benefits.
Sources: Samsung, Twitch Rivals, Deadline, Gizmodo