Tag Archives: Amazon

For the first time, Amazon will stream Prime series on Twitch

The pilots will air for 24 hours on the video game streaming site.

Amazon’s new pilot shows will be released later this month, but for the first time ever they will also stream on Amazon’s video game streaming property, Twitch.

Twitch was purchased by Amazon for $970 million two years ago. But this is the first time Amazon has broadcast its content on Twitch. Continue reading For the first time, Amazon will stream Prime series on Twitch

Twitch introduces ‘Cheering’ emotes for tipping streamers

The company wants a piece of the market.

Twitch, the popular game-streaming site, has a funding problem. Not related to the company — it’s owned by Amazon and is just fine — but its streamers. Like on other video platforms, creators are paid based on ad views and subscriptions, and by all accounts not at a very high rate. While popular streamers make a living — helped in part by sponsorship deals and the like — it can be hard for smaller channels to make ends meet. That’s why the sub-economy of donations and tips exists, and today, Twitch is trying to formalize that economy with a new feature it calls “Cheering.” Continue reading Twitch introduces ‘Cheering’ emotes for tipping streamers

Amazon Poised to Influence the Growth of E-sports

E-sports is a growing industry. As interest grows in gaming as a spectator sport, we’re starting to see heavy investment in the sector, to the point that companies are considering purpose built arenas for e-sport events. Given the interest in the market, Amazon’s acquisition of Twitch and subsequently GoodGame, an e-sports advertising and talent agency, makes a lot of sense.

GoodGame is a talent and content agency that brokers deals between e-sports stars and brands that want to market in the sector. “We made a decision to become a full service agency, working with third-party teams and broadcasters to help them grow via merchandising, endorsements and custom content,” said GoodGame CEO Alexander Garfield. GoodGame also organizes e-sport events and manages professional teams.

In truth, Twitch acquired GoodGame, not Amazon, but it’s a clear move from Twitch to expand their offerings for both their talent and their content. The backing by Amazon may have given Twitch the ability to make this move, but the figures are undisclosed and it’s unlikely that Amazon was involved directly in the deal.

“The acquisition will allow Twitch to harness GoodGame’s unique service package, as well as its staff’s industry expertise and community leadership, in order to offer an even broader array of support and monetization opportunities to the greater Twitch community,” an official release reads.

Many were surprised when Amazon purchased Twitch; the rumors pegged Google and YouTube as the most likely company to acquire the streaming network. Around the time of the acquisition, ReadWrite editorial producer Stephanie Chan wrote about how Amazon had been investing in gaming, and that the Twitch acquisition was Amazon expanding horizontally into the video game space.

“Having a foot in spectator gaming is already access to a huge pile of revenue, and then to be able to have a direct line to integrated ads and games buying? The potential for earnings through Twitch, for now, seems limitless,” Chan wrote.

Given that e-sports is expanding radically, to the point of getting airtime on cable TV, Twitch could prove lucrative just in terms of revenue. If the company can leverage its power when it comes to digital games downloads and online video distribution, Amazon could have a hand in the growth of the whole e-sports industry.

A Look Into the $1B Acquisition of Twitch by Amazon

Amazon purchased Twitch for $970 million. At the moment, Amazon has a whopping 244 million active users, and Twitch has 55 million active users. For Twitch, this could enlarge their viewership and give them more access to other video game users.

The online gaming company’s popularity and influence has grown rapidly since its debut. In June 2011, the streaming video game platform was born offering users video games and ways to stream other video games. Within a year, Twitch gained 20 million viewers per month, Consumerist reported. By mid-2013, they amassed twice the amount of users: 45 million.

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As of July of this year, Twitch has 55 million users per month. The number of users that they have surpasses that of Netflix with 50 million users. The 55 million streaming video game users have already watched 15 billion minutes of content, Consumerist reported.

Twitch even rivals Hulu. In February of this year, Twitch gained more traffic than the video streaming site Hulu. Twitch’s popularity grew even more when it made deals with Microsoft and Sony to power live streaming on the Xbox One, and the PlayStation 4 consoles, CNET reported.

Amazon and Twitch have already been working together before the acquisition. Twitch shepherds video game purchases with their business partners linking them to product pages like Amazon. This way the online gaming company advertises to gamers, CNET reported.

This merger might be a win-win for both online companies. Amazon has a huge, efficient, and highly scalable web hosting, and cloud streaming operation. Twitch clocks in with 55 million active video game users; the video game crowd is what Amazon has not fully immersed itself in, Consumerist reported. Amazon is branching into digital content, and video game development, having Twitch is a match for both companies.

Shear has made a deal with Amazon that gives the online video game company autonomy from the online shipping giant. If Amazon had 100 percent controlling interest Shear says, “It would destroy what Twitch is,” CNET reported.

“I know it’s the last thing I want and I think it’s the last thing Amazon wants too,” Shear said.

In an interview with Forbes, Shear explained that they were glad to know from Amazon that independence would be worked out.

“You get retained as a fully owned subsidiary. Those kind of symbolic things have a great meaning. It’s different being the senior vice president of the Twitch division versus being the CEO of Twitch, Inc.,” Shear said, Forbes reported

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With Amazon’s acquisition of Twitch the online video gaming company can integrate fully Amazon Web Services (AWS). Shear says that AWS is an “amazing piece of software” which they could integrate into their network, Forbes reported. As a result, Shear says this could make them “the best live video system in the world.”

How do you feel about Amazon buying Twitch? How is that going to affect you?