Twitch has caused an uproar with new advertising guidelines for streamers. Many now fear a big departure from the streaming platform and Kick wants to use this for itself.
Hamburg – Twitch has once again caused outrage among the streamer community. The reason: new advertising guidelines that severely limit the previous possibilities. Since advertising is streamers' biggest source of income, the new rules could mean that they look for another platform. Kick is one of them, which is now trying to lure creators to it.
| Company name | Twitch Interactive, Inc. |
| Head office | San Francisco, California |
| Foundation | 6th June 2011 |
| Umbrella organisation | Amazon.com, Inc. |
| Founders | Justin Kan, Emmett Shear, Michael Seibel, Kyle Vogt |
Twitch prohibits certain advertising media in the stream
What happened? Twitch recently announced a number of new regulations for sponsored content. Many previously tolerated ads are no longer allowed during livestreams. Here's an overview of the new guidelines for streamers:
- No longer allowed:
- Banner ads or other display ads
- Video Ads
- Audio ads, for example in the form of jingles
- Still allowed:
- Logos in the stream, as long as they don't make up more than 3% of the screen size
- Advertising on the streamer's channel page
- Product placements in the background
- Links to other websites in the chat
- Recommendations, reviews or unboxings of products in the stream
- Play Sponsored Games
What does this mean for streamers? These strict restrictions have caused resentment among many channel operators, as these new regulations will affect their financing options. Advertising and sponsorships make up a large part of Twitch streamers' revenue. If the existing advertising opportunities are eliminated, important advertising partners could possibly jump ship.
Twitch's new advertising guidelines – Kick lures streamers to its own platform
Here's how Kick reacts: It's a bold move by Twitch that may drive many big streamers to other platforms. Kick doesn't take long to ask, announcing on Twitter: "We'll cover the $25 fee for anyone who terminates their contract and joins Kick." Namely, Twitch has introduced a fee of $25 for those who cancel their partnership.
For many users, this actually seems to be a tempting offer. In the comment field, for example, they write: "Extremely tempting", or "I'm a Twitch affiliate, but already on kick. I have no intention of going back and would break all ties with them for kick."
Twitch is already rowing back: On Twitter, the company released a statement apologizing for the "confusion and frustration" caused by the announcement of the guidelines. It is not intended to limit direct relationships with sponsors. However, it remains to be seen how hard Twitch will proceed if the new rules are not observed. What is clear is that Kick is already scraping with his hooves. The Twitch competitor has already tried several times to lure streamers to its own platform.
