Kick just got its biggest day ever thanks to Twitch screwup
No matter which way you try to frame it, Twitch is having a bit of a rough moment. It's full of those. It seems like the streaming platform has gotten too comfortable with being the biggest in the business, with not even YouTube being able to topple it.
Recently, Twitch's terms of service changes have been squeezing streamers into threatening a boycott, as it's accused of making attempts to quash internal advertising in user streams. This has been a point of great frustration for fans and streamers alike - but its competitors are soaking up Twitch's mistakes.
Twitch has introduced a contract-cutting fee
Click to enlargeWhile Twitch is trying to clean up the mess it has made of its terms of service, it's clear that users aren't afraid to migrate like their favourite creators who have made a home in the streaming community.
The new additions to the terms of service may have been headlined by the new advertising news, but it looks as though Twitch has introduced a new fee for streamers who want to terminate their contracts with the service, on a Partner or Affiliate level.
It's frustrating for streamers who are looking for the freedom that Twitch once offered, but now that it's seeking $25 from them for having the audacity to consider moving elsewhere is rough. But competitor Kick is willing to make it worth streamers' while.
Kick is flourishing while Twitch is floundering
In a pretty bold move on Twitter, Kick has officially offered to cover the $25 fee it costs to get streamers to move over from Twitch. This will have put Kick right in Twitch's crosshairs, but for the green team, it's paid off nicely.
A follow-up tweet from Kick has revealed that its existing 24-hour sign-up record has been absolutely crushed, with the day of Twitch's screwup seeing Kick double its previous record. Kick rather snarkily tweeted, "Shoutout to that other website for the boost." Blimey.
It's clear that players aren't afraid to take their business elsewhere - and that Twitch needs to prove itself once again to make fans know that it's the king of the castle as the one to watch. Forget Microsoft versus Sony, the great streaming wars have well and truly begun.