Former FBI director James Comey will speak before the United States Intelligence Committee in a historic congressional hearing in American politics later today. And Twitch will broadcast all of it.
Twitch, which became one of the biggest sites on the Internet thanks to its 24-hour gaming content, has recently begun to expand its reach. That has so far largely focused on broadly focused on IRL, life-streaming content. But the company also entered politics last year with broadcasts of the Republican and Democratic national conventions. Twitch is leading a new era of media consumption, making it easier than ever for young people to get involved in politics.
As what Twitch is calling a “public service to [the Twitch] community,” the stream will begin at 10am EST and run through the duration of the public hearing. It’s an iteration on Twitch’s broadcast of the Republican and Democratic conventions, providing a simple way for its users to engage with politics.
President Donald Trump fired Comey from his position at the top of the FBI on May 9. Comey will speak before Congress today on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, with potential implications for Trump’s presidency itself. Comey will likely field questions regarding presidential obstruction of justice.
Twitch will have professional moderators on hand to keep Twitch chat in check.
“When we live streamed the Republican and Democratic National Conventions on Twitch last year, followed by a broadcast from the White House, our community had the opportunity to engage in civic-minded content, while conversing with one another in chat,” Twitch product marketing manager Brian Petrocelli said in a statement.
Initial political content from Twitch was well-received by its user base, which is why the streaming service will continue to expand its engagement with an official news channel.
