Twitch no longer requires exclusivity

Twitch has informed the streamers working there in an email that from now on exclusivity is no longer required. From now on, streaming will also be allowed on other platforms. However, simultaneous live streaming remains largely prohibited.

Previously exclusivity required

From all streamers who reached partner or affiliate status on Twitch, the platform previously demanded an exclusive commitment with regard to live streaming. Consequently, other platforms were not allowed to be used for live broadcasts – which meant that a large part of the potential target group could not be reached. For this reason, many of the Twitch streamers also put their content online on YouTube after the end of the live broadcast, thus expanding their revenue opportunities.

From now on, this detour will no longer be necessary, at least in some cases, since streaming is now allowed on other platforms as well. But there is one major drawback: Simultaneous live streaming on multiple platforms is only permitted for very short content. It will therefore still be contractually prohibited to run a stream on Twitch and YouTube at the same time. Nonetheless, the loosening of the tie should benefit most streamers.

Twitch should benefit

However, the step of the company belonging to Amazon is by no means completely altruistic. Last year, for example, two of the best-known U.S. streamers had terminated their contracts with Twitch in order to commit to YouTube, as they expected more success and thus higher revenues there. With this step, Twitch probably wants to prevent further streamers from canceling their exclusive contracts in order to be active exclusively on other platforms from now on.

In addition, Twitch could benefit from the additional attention generated for its own streamers via other platforms: If the number of fans grows, the viewer numbers on Twitch could increase – which would also bring the platform more revenue.

The change is part of a modernization concept with which Twitch wants to become more lucrative for streamers and also increase its own revenues. Most recently, the compensation model was changed.