Are streaming rights the new broadcasting rights of the 21st century? A comparative review on the specific case of esport competitions

Abstract

Nowadays the world of entertainment is based upon a multitude of platforms and not only on television. The disruptive new technologies, such as streaming platforms, have changed the entire panorama. The straightforwardness of content, the streaming enthusiasm and the creative freedom, directly blooming from the creator, are perfectly embodied through new actors like Twitch and YouTube. At the same time, with the arrival of esports on the international stage, they have become the preferred format for livestream, optimized and indispensable to publishers. However, the compulsory use of Twitch is challenging the normal broadcasting rights process by the intervention of numerous intermediaries, and consequently the rights applied to Intellectual Property. Our article will focus on the identification of these actors, in order to understand the distribution of broadcasting rights and the example of three countries involved in these problematics.