Twitch

Method

Twitch spins out of Justin.tv in San Francisco and launches on 6 June 2011. The Partner Program follows in July 2011, sharing ad and subscription revenue with large streamers, and the Affiliate Program in April 2017 opens subscriptions and Bits to small channels. Amazon buys Twitch on 25 August 2014 for 970 million dollars in cash. Ninja builds the first mainstream streaming career here before leaving for Mixer in 2019 and returning in 2020. Twitch introduces Partner Plus with a 70/30 split in June 2023 and tiered splits in January 2024, lays off about 400 staff in March 2023 and about 500 in January 2024, and CEO Dan Clancy says the business has never been profitable. Kick's 95/5 split pulls xQc and others away from 2023. In 2025 to 2026 Twitch remains the largest live platform for gaming and the launch pad for Kai Cenat and AMP.

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The path: money and goods moving

• paysNinja (Tyler Blevins)Ninja streams on Twitch from 2011 as a partner, reaches 3 million followers by March 2018 on Fortnite, and returns in September 2020 on a multiyear exclusive deal after Mixer closes.2011 to 2019, 2020 to present
• acquired byAmazonAmazon announces on August 25, 2014 that it will buy all Twitch shares for about 970 million dollars in cash, closing in the second half of 2014.2014
• affiliate ofRestreamRestream's core product relays a creator's single broadcast to Twitch, YouTube and other platforms at once. (partly verified)2015 to present
• paysxQcxQc is Twitch's most watched partner before his June 2023 Kick deal, after which he streams on both. (partly verified)2016 to 2023
• paysPokimane (Imane Anys)Pokimane is a Twitch partner and one of its most followed women streamers, earning subscription and ad revenue through the Partner Program. (partly verified)2017 to present
• spawnedBrandon FreytagFreytag leaves a job at Twitch to found Loaded; the year is not confirmed. (partly verified)2017
• paysLudwig AhgrenLudwig Ahgren becomes a Twitch partner and sets the platform's subscriber record with a 31 day subathon in April 2021 before leaving for YouTube. (partly verified)2018 to 2021
• paysKai CenatKai Cenat becomes Twitch's most subscribed streamer through subathons in 2023 and 2024, paid through the Partner Program. (partly verified)2021 to present

Influence

• influencedKickKick launches months after Twitch bans gambling streams and copies its layout while offering a 95/5 split against Twitch's 50/50.2022 to present

Representation, events, tools

• atTwitchConTwitch stages TwitchCon from September 2015 in San Francisco, with San Diego and Rotterdam hosting in 2024 and 2025.2015 to present
• atTwitch headquarters, 350 Bush StreetTwitch opens its 185,000 square foot headquarters at 350 Bush Street in August 2019.2019 to present