Machinima, one of the biggest YouTube entertainment networks, is breaking from its on-demand format to bring gamers new shows on a streaming schedule via Twitch, almost like a television network.
Machinima said it will bring its growing eSports coverage to Twitch, a streaming network for gamers that has 45 million unique viewers a month, but will also bring new and popular shows, which would normally air on YouTube, to a Monday-through-Friday streaming schedule.
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Machinima already reaches about 200 million viewers a month on its network of YouTube channels, which focus on different aspects of gaming culture or related entertainment. Machinima's Director of eSports and Live Content Ryan Wyatt said what they were developing especially for Twitch was "a television vibe with a live feel."
"Machinima content in a live format is something that gamers should just love," he told Mashable.
Some of the shows Machinima is debuting include Operation Game Drop, which will air Tuesdays and discuss the week's new game releases, and Machinima Dark Room, a weekly exploration of horror games played live by easily-scared hosts. Each will run in a specific time slot weekly, and there will be about 120 hours of original programming airing on Twitch monthly. Each month will also have a tent-pole event; November's is a seven-day-long Call of Duty livestream on Monday.
Wyatt said television-style weekly programming also changes the way the company thinks about advertising. It will work more like traditional television, with programmed slots for advertising, but Machinima plans to experiment based on data and essential community feedback.
"Hearing what the community has to say is important," Wyatt said. "It won't work if they don't watch. Because we know our audience, the ads will be stuff they are actually into, which is a great way to build trust."
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