Formula 1's decision to live-stream the Mexican Grand Prix in six countries using online game-streaming platform Twitch took many by surprise. If you thought free-to-air versus pay-TV was the main broadcast battleground, things are more complicated.
Twitch was founded in 2007 by four friends, including 24-year-old Justin Kan, who attached a camera to his head and live-streamed his life for the next eight months. You read that right.
Justin.tv, Twitch's predecessor, was the result. It gave birth to a multi-channel online platform enabling viewers to enjoy content focused on technology, sport, news and gaming. In no time at all, the gaming channels attracted large numbers of viewers rushing to watch those who were brilliant at it - brilliantly good, bad or funny, but always entertaining.