World of WarCraft on Joost

A few years ago, it was the hottest ticket to watch online program. Since then, I’ve pretty much ignored it.

Recently, German e-sports team SK Gaming (with help from Amok studios) began streaming live World of Warcraft content on Joost. And even though this isn’t going to break down the wall to spread gaming to a wider audience, it does one important thing: It gets folks to try Joost (if you haven’t) or rediscover it (it’s come a long way since the beta version).

The idea to turn gaming — especially competitive gaming — into a spectator event doesn’t seem to always work. If you ever watched an episode of “Arena” back in G4’s early days, you were treated to obnoxious hosts intercut with gamers intently staring at monitors. The World Series of Video Games didn’t last too long.

But Joost is a different beast. Even though you’ll find a treasure trove of classic and cult TV series such as “Star Trek” and “Stargate Atlantis,” most of Joost’s programming appeals to niche audiences. If watching WoW without playing it is going to have any kind of home, it’s here.

Of course, the real draw here is that it’s live content. So you need a heads-up when to log on and watch. If you happen to miss it, then you lose the appeal: Watching it non-live isn’t any different from watching it on YouTube or any other video site.