SoundCloud’s latest expansion is taking it into the buzziest areas of the modern media industry: gaming and esports.
The streaming service is launching its own online gaming tournament, Player One, which will see eight popular musicians on SoundCloud competing in Fortnite for an audience watching on Twitch and SoundCloud.
Rapper Rico Nasty is on board as co-host and half-time show performer for the first tournament, which takes place on 18 February.
SoundCloud cited research indicating that more than 49% of its users identify as gamers as encouragement for the move. There’s also a business model at work, with sponsorship from Adobe and Swiffer.
The response to the first event will presumably dictate what happens next with Player One as a brand. The esports sector is intensively competitive right now, and there is no shortage of Fortnite tournaments for people to watch. Much will depend on the calibre of artists that SoundCloud is able to enlist.
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