South Korean organisation Team Griffin has announced a partnership with Chinese live streaming platform HUYA.
According to the announcement, Team Griffin will broadcast a variety of content to its Chinese fans through the platform.
At the time of writing, Team Griffin has announced a streaming schedule for HUYA and completed its first streaming session on July 8th.
Team Griffin also revealed that it will be hosting a fan meet-up on July 11th in Beijing. With HUYA’s support, Team Griffin is gradually exposing its culture and personalities to Chinese fans by conducting interviews with Chinese esports media and posting team videos in Chinese.
In addition to the partnership with Team Griffin, HUYA also signed a deal with organisation Team Liquid on June 21st. This deal is considered the largest collaboration in esports between a Chinese content platform and a Western organisation. Like Team Griffin, Team Liquid is looking to expand its business in the Chinese esports market by showcasing its players and personalities to Chinese audiences through the live streaming platform.
HUYA is a major presence in live streaming in China; in 2018, its valuation was close to $2 billion (£1.61 billion) and it was successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange in May. The company owns Chengdu Hunters, one of eight expansion franchises that joined the Overwatch League ahead of its second season.
Esports Insider says: By partnering with teams outside of China, HUYA has found a way to increase global footprint and influence. These deals massively help teams to expand their business and fan base in China, a thriving market, so it appears as if this kind of partnership is a win-win.