Longtime gamer and celebrity fighter Rhonda Rousey has joined Facebook Gaming in an exclusive streaming deal, adding to the platform’s growing portfolio of talent.
The former UFC fighter and frequent World of Warcraft Night Elf announced the news in an Instagram post. She showed off her passion for gaming as she was pictured holding a Nintendo Switch and a copy of Pokemon Shield.
Her first Facebook Gaming stream will be on February 18 at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET and she’s pledged to donate all of the proceeds from that broadcast to the Australian bushfire recovery efforts.
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“Good morning Rowdy Ones, I am Rhonda Rousey here to formally announce my official gaming stream on Facebook Gaming,” she said. “The baddest stream on the planet. I’m super excited for us to geek out together, especially because we’re starting out with Pokemon Sword and Shield.”
Wearing an Espeon-onesie, Rousey believes “game streaming is one of the rawest and most authentic mediums” and is ready to hit the ground running from her new broadcast home.
“Gaming has always been a huge part of my life, and I can’t wait to share that passion with my millions of fans on Facebook Gaming,” Rousey said about the announcement. “Through my streams, people can hang out with the real me, not the ‘character’ version of myself they’re used to seeing, though the ‘Rowdy One’ can’t always be contained!”
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Rousey has been a fan of gaming for a long time, moderating Pokemon forums years before her time as a pioneer in women’s MMA. She also lent her voice to Mortal Kombat 11’s Sonya Blade in 2019.
As well as announcing the news on Instagram, she simultaneously broadcasted the reveal of her exclusive deal on her Facebook page. At the time of writing 11 million people had ‘liked’ it.
Though she’s yet to announce a set stream schedule, her legion of fans will be ready to get rowdy with Rousey when she goes live for the first time on February 18.
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This deal locks in a different kind of star for Facebook Gaming. Previously, they signed on former Twitch streamers Jeremy ‘Disguised Toast’ Wang and Corinna Kopf along with Super Smash Bros. star Gonzalo ‘ZeRo’ Barrios.
This signing adds to the competition between the streaming’s biggest platforms as Facebook Gaming, Twitch, Mixer and even Caffeine have all been recruiting top-tier talent in recent months.
