The Game Awards 2016 could have more viewers than the Oscars

This year’s Game Awards is on track to beat the Oscars in terms of viewership numbers.

This is a result of an additional 1.5 Billion possible viewers around the world due to the unique ways in which the Game Awards are being broadcast.

In addition to the traditional YouTube and Twitch platforms, the ceremony will also be broadcast on both Sony and Microsoft’s game consoles, Facebook, and VR devices.

The biggest push however, comes from China.

“Chinese multimedia giant Tencent plans to air a live localized version of the show across the country using a number of platforms including its instant messaging QQ and WeChat services,” reports Polygon.

“Those two alone have about 1.5 billion active users. The program will be translated live and viewers in China will be able to vote on a special Fans Choice Awards using the Tencent News App with the winner announced during the global broadcast.”

In contrast, the Academy Awards have seen a downward viewership trend in recent years.

While the exact global viewership numbers for the Oscars are not available, The Hollywood Reporter believed them to be around “several hundred million” in 2016.

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