Dive Brief:

• Frito-Lay's Doritos is partnering with Twitch to host a gaming event in which top streamers will compete as they play Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's new Blackout mode at TwitchCon 2018 in San Jose, California on Saturday, Oct. 27, the company announced in a press release. The event, which follows the release of the game on Oct. 12, will be streamed on Twitch.
• The competition, called Doritos Bowl, includes leading streamers Ninja, Shroud, CouRage and DrLupo who will each act as team captains for squads showcasing their gaming skills with Call of Duty's new last-player-standing Blackout experience. 
• The partnership also includes live streams leading up to the competition. Fans can follow Doritos on Twitch, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as visit DoritosBowl.com to learn more. 

Dive Insight:

The news is the latest indication that big brands are looking beyond traditional media platforms and ads to try to engage younger consumers in ways related to what they are passionate about. Doritos has crafted a potentially potent mix of video gaming, event sponsorship, live streaming and a popular digital platform to level up its awareness with gamers. 

With 64% of those who have watched live streamed content having engaged with ads on those platforms, according to IAB research, it's clear the medium has potential for advertisers. Platforms such as Twitch, which offers a more social streaming experience for users, potentially provide opportunities for even more meaningful engagement with brands. Twitch was founded in 2011 and already has 15 million daily active users and is owned by Amazon. Advertisers can purchase a variety of ad products on the platform, and around 27,000 streamers make money through the Twitch Partnership Program, which gives users with large audiences a way to offer subscriptions and ads. In a sign that Amazon isn't alone in seeing business potential for live streaming video gaming content, Fox recently invested in startup Caffeine. 

Streaming is gaining with consumers as a way to view more traditional programming as well as for live events, like sporting and entertainment events. Pew Research Center reports that 61% of young adults now primarily use streaming services to watch TV, according to the Pew Research Center. This summer, Major League Baseball live streamed a VR home run competition on Twitch.