Drake Signs Exclusive Deal to Host URL Rap Battles on Streaming Upstart Caffeine

The service's founder declined to share how much the deal is worth.

The world of battle rap is moving to an even larger stage. On Tuesday Ben Keighran, founder of the streaming platform Caffeine announced that Drake has signed an exclusive multi-year deal to host Ultimate Rap League battles on the service.

The deal isn't surprising, considering Drake's history with both rap battles and streaming platforms. The Toronto MC appeared as a guest on the URL stage back in 2015 for the organization's Night of Main Events. In 2018, he joined the infamous Twitch streamer Ninja to co-stream games of Fortnite. At the time, the broadcast set a record with over 600,000 views.

Caffeine looks to rival Twitch, the video streaming giant owned by Amazon. The company recently struck broadcasting deals with Offset of the Migos and Doja Cat. Offset currently hosts variety shows, as well as streams playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. 21st Century Fox invested $100 million in the platform in early 2018.

"Drake, if you look at his career in the last ten years, is defined as the biggest artist in the world," Keighran told CNN Business. "This is a guy that can catch the attention of not just the entertainment world, but the gaming world as well."

Read the full report on CNN.

"Caffeine is the home for all creators," Keighran continued. "Regardless of how much time they spend on the platform. Many creators stream as a fulltime job, whereas some creators such as entertainers like Doja Cat and Offset, stream to connect with their fans in a new way."

SOURCE: CNN Business