Twitch Relaxes Exclusivity for Twitch Partners
Twitch announced this week it's relaxing its exclusivity requirements for Twitch Partners, in both a concession to a more competitive landscape and increasingly restive workforce of content creators.
Seeing Other Platforms
Previously, Twitch Partners were not allowed to stream on other platforms, such as Facebook or YouTube. Partners are streamers who have met certain requirements, who, in exchange for platform exclusivity, received more favorable monetization terms.
Now, Partners will be able to stream on any platform – with some caveats.
- Simulcasting on “web-based, Twitch-like services” such as YouTube or Facebook is banned
- Simulcasting on short-form social media, such as TikTok or Instagram Live, is allowed
- Partners are allowed to advertise non-Twitch streams on their channel
Will It Save the Marriage?
Twitch isn’t doing this out of the kindness of its heart: The platform has lost several big streamers to competitors in recent years. It also caught a lot of flack earlier this year when rumors of proposed changes that would negatively impact streamers’ incomes surfaced. This is the company’s stab at an “I want you back, baby” song. On an HR note, these changes would theoretically solve Twitch’s thorny handling of banned streamers like Dr. Disrespect, with the platform previously and rather awkwardly banning images of the creator from Twitch streams of his tournament. It’s also worth considering if these changes are an attempt by Amazon to give regulatory officials one less reason to look into its often controversial labor practices and keep content creators happy enough that they don’t unionize. At either rate, it’s a win for streamers and similar to the trend among console manufacturers to ditch exclusivity in favor of the broadest audience possible.
Twitch isn’t doing this out of the kindness of its heart: The platform has lost several big streamers to competitors in recent years. It also caught a lot of flack earlier this year when rumors of proposed changes that would negatively impact streamers’ incomes surfaced. This is the company’s stab at an “I want you back, baby” song. On an HR note, these changes would theoretically solve Twitch’s thorny handling of banned streamers like Dr. Disrespect, with the platform previously and rather awkwardly banning images of the creator from Twitch streams of his tournament. It’s also worth considering if these changes are an attempt by Amazon to give regulatory officials one less reason to look into its often controversial labor practices and keep content creators happy enough that they don’t unionize. At either rate, it’s a win for streamers and similar to the trend among console manufacturers to ditch exclusivity in favor of the broadest audience possible.
