White House plans eSports event to raise health insurance awareness

The U.S. government is apparently working with video game streaming platform Twitch to raise awareness about its health insurance initiative, as Twitch announced today it's heading to the White House next week for a 4-hour livestreamed "Competitive Gaming Event."

This is, as Twitch proudly points out, the first time a competitive game marathon has been broadcast from the White House. Of course, the White House administration has long looked upon games as more than entertainment, and it has a history of hosting game jams and other game dev contests.

The upcoming eSports event, which starts next Monday (12/12) at 4 PM Eastern, will feature professional and enthusiast game players competing (replete with live commentary) in games like Rocket League and Street Fighter V. The goal of the stream is to draw attention to (and get people signing up for) the government-backed Health Insurance Marketplace, which has an enrollment deadline just a few days after the event.