Riot Games has decided to add KICK as an official streaming platform for League of Legends global coverage and co-streaming.
As KICK continues to grow as a streaming service, especially in LATAM, MENA, and Europe, Riot Games has decided to put its esports on the platform.
The first event hosted on the platform will be MSI 2026. This will continue with LoL Esports, Valorant, and TFT going forward. The deal will not be extended to China or Korea.
A big part of the deal, according to Riot Games, is expanding its creator and partner programs. KICK is a popular platform with its fans, and League of Legends is a popular title on the platform. At the time of writing, Valorant and League of Legends were the 6th and 7th most popular titles on the platform. Behind IRL, Chatting, Dota 2, GTA, and, of course, gambling.
Why KICK?
KICK was founded in 2022 as a direct alternative to Twitch. It quickly became a haven for Twitch streamers who were banned from the platform. While it had a rocky start, it’s started to find a place for itself as the dust settles on some of the initial deals to move people to the platform.
Crucially, KICK offers the highest share of revenue for streamers. Though the ability to stream gambling content was a big reason why many moved to the platform.
Previously, Riot Games had a hands-off approach to gambling, but the door has started to crack open. As revenue streams for esports teams dry up, Riot Games has allowed Valorant sides to pursue betting sponsorships.
This has not seemingly moved over to League of Legends yet, however, it feelsl ike only a matter of time. KICK is owned by Stake, so the gambling content on the platform is not a huge surprise.
Time will tell if this deal opens the door to move gambling within the Riot Games ecosystem, or if this is just Riot Games trying to get as much viewership as possible.