Jason Somerville’s Run It Up & PokerStars Announce Partnership to Grow Poker on Twitch

After the continuous efforts of a huge number of streamers like LexVeldhius, tonkaaaaP and channels like Poker Central, which is currently streaming WSOP 2018 and MSPTPoker, to make poker a spectator sport much to the likes of video games like DOTA, Fortnite, and FIFA 2018, well known Twitch streamer – Jason Somerville’s Run it Up Reno has partnered with world’s biggest poker site PokerStars.

Somerville recently announced the launch of Run It Up Studios in Las Vegas in partnership with PokerStars. With this new studio, Somerville aims to offer services to Twitch streamers across the globe. Somerville will use his resources and assets he has gathered from his streaming experience and will offer the same to others in order to grow poker on Twitch.

The studio will not be affiliated with a casino and the team’s sole focus will be to help streamers mostly in countries more online poker friendly.

The facility features a full-purpose Twitch production studio that is currently producing content for PokerStars and Somerville’s Run It Up channel. Both brands see it as a one stop shop for content producers from productions and graphics, to merchandise and administrative services. Facilities in the setup include multiple monitors to watch all the streamers anytime they are live along with multiple editing bays.

On the new association and return on Twitch, Somerville said, “We’re trying to help bring the same partners that work with me, to others. But my ultimate goal is to build Twitch poker and to grow the game of poker. So anybody we can help be more successful on Twitch, is going to be good for those two ends. That’s what I’m out to accomplish here.”

Through Run It Up and partnerships with other streamers, the reach will allow Run It Up to attract more advertisers and share some of that income with other streamers as well.

“Making it more profitable to be a streamer certainly increases the appeal to those who are considering streaming, and also increasing the appeal for those who are currently streaming because we want those guys have careers. Getting people who are content creators on a platform and making them have a successful and profitable career out of it, that’s pretty crucial for the long-term growth of the game.” Somerville added.

Farhan Ahmed, head of poker partnerships at Twitch expressed his views on the partnership saying, “There is no greater news for the continuing growth and health of poker on Twitch than to have Jason Somerville at the heart of it. As a fundamental part of the category’s success to date, this new venture is bound to excite our large and passionate poker community.”

Meanwhile, The Stars Group’s VP of corporate communication, Eric Hollreiser praised Somerville and his streaming experience, “Jason is a pioneer, innovator and human content engine – which is why he’s so successful on Twitch. Twitch Poker is an exciting new platform for poker innovation and community-building. We’re eager to build upon our partnership with Jason and to mine the vast PokerStars library of content, promote poker streamers and create exclusive promotions and original content for Run It Up.”

The studio team will also help with YouTube production and hire high-level moderators to assist individual streamers. Run It Up will also help produce Twitch extensions for streamers, allowing viewers to look at previous hands played, run polls, or the ability to see which players are at the tables and their chips stacks.

Not just poker, according to Somerville the studio may be a good fit for other entities looking to make a presence on Twitch.

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2. Twitch Streamer Jaime ‘jaimestaples’ Staples is Latest ‘Friend of PokerStars’

3. Jason Somerville Signs Up As Team PokerStars Pro, Vicente Delgado Terminates Contract