Twitch

Twitch is as popular and controversial as ever

Twitch.tv is a livestreaming platform primarily known for video games, but also featuring all sorts of content. It has a long list of stars that have garnered mainstream success including Ninja, shroud, xQc, Pokimane, Amouranth, and many more.

Twitch’s origins date back to before it was even called Twitch. Livestreaming website Justin.tv opened a gaming category that quickly became its most popular feature, and was soon spun out into Twitch.tv as a result. That spinout occurred in June 2011, and the new website was on its way to success.

That success was so rapid and pronounced that it drew the attention of one of the world’s biggest companies, online shopping giant Amazon, which purchased Twitch for close to $1 billion. The immense price was a signal beyond the gaming industry that livestreaming and the idea of watching someone else play games as a basis for entertainment were both here to stay.

The platform has continued growing since its acquisition by Amazon. It has played a pivotal role in the creation of some of livestreaming’s biggest stars, and it has fended off multiple potential challengers while doing so.

Despite massive investments from such companies as Microsoft and Google, no other platform has yet been able to hold a candle to Twitch when it comes to livestreaming in the gaming space.

With the nature of entertainment delivery rapidly evolving, Twitch continues to seem a platform on the innovative edge. Whether it can maintain that position, and its ability to create new streaming stars, remains to be seen.