Twitch Drops Exclusivity Clause for Partners

Twitch has begun informing users that it is changing its exclusivity clause for partners and affiliates.  In a recent email sent to content creators, the live streaming giant has confirmed that streamers on are now free to live stream on other video streaming platforms. This means that some of the biggest names on Twitch can now begin using YouTube, Facebook and other services live streaming services without penalties.

Streaming Wars

Such changes in Twitch's policy can be understood as a direct response to recent advances by YouTube Live, which has been snatching big Twitch streamers by offering more flexible contracts, including higher pay and fewer mandatory hours.

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The truth is gaming has been on the rise, which has made it a particularly attractive sector. As a result, it has become the battleground between some of the biggest technology-related companies out there. The recent surge in the popularity of gaming is the direct result of the mass democratization of gaming and the full implementation of online multiplayer games.

Players can now access immersive and real-time experiences, making gaming all the more attractive for both existing and new players. This has also been the case in the casino industry, which has developed highly appealing and dynamic games that have revolutionized classic gambling. This specific industry has been booming for the past few years and has even led to the creation of online casino guides, such as Casinotopsonline.com, where players can check out the best deals and welcome bonuses.

However, in addition to regular games and gambling titles, online gaming has also spawned the rise of other forms of online games and competitions, such as eSports, which are one of the most important markets for live streaming platforms, such as Twitch, YouTube Live, Facebook Gaming. More recently, mobile video-based giant, TikTok, has also made moves to attract streamers to its platform, including those focusing on live game streaming and even gamers themselves as reported by The Verge.

Source: Pexels

New Policy

Twitch, however, will limit streamers' decision to go live on two or more platforms at the same time. The issue here isn't mobile-based apps, such as TikTok, which can be used for simultaneous streaming, but rather “Twitch-like” platforms. The Amazon subsidiary has explained this decision by stating that multi-streaming in other similar platforms was undesirable for communities. This rule contradicts the policies of TikTok and Instagram, which both allow streamers to go live on several services simultaneously. The American platform has also clarified that its previous position to encourage streamers to grow their communities solemnly on Twitch was no longer fit for the current streaming landscape.

This set of new rules isn't entirely unexpected, as earlier this year, Bloomberg reported the company was preparing some major changes to its business model. In addition to the partnership agreements, there was also speculation, which now came true, that the platform would be pushing for more ads on its platform. Luckily, other rumored changes, such as a possible reduction from 70% to 50% on streamers' pay didn't come to fruition.

Twitch is currently the biggest live streaming platform on the internet, with a reported 105 million active users at the beginning of 2022.