Streaming News for Week of October 16th 2023

Twitch News

• Partner Qualifications Updated: Twitch has slightly reworded its Partner Qualification guidelines and added a new requirement: 8 individual streams with 75 average viewers per 30 days, for two consecutive months.
• Sponsored Sub-Discounts in Testing: Amazon Games is testing a new feature called Sponsored Sub-Discounts with some top creators. This feature allows creators to offer their subscribers a 50% discount on subs.
• New Monetization Tab for Creators: Twitch has launched a new Monetization tab for creators. This tab pulls out Ads, Bits, Community, Subs, and Others from their previous placements.
• Rerun Function Brought Back by Third-Party Service: CommanderRoot has brought back Twitch’s Rerun function as a third-party service. This feature allows creators to replay their past streams on their channel.
• Privacy Center Launched: Twitch has launched a new Privacy Center, which offers users a guide on taking control of their data on Twitch.
• Twitch Trying to Create Artificial Demand for Guest Star: Twitch is trying to create artificial demand for its Guest Star feature by stealing organic discovery from creators with unique thumbnail overlays. This feature allows creators to invite other creators to co-stream with them.
• Streamers Can Now Block Banned Users from Viewing Their Livestreams: Streamers now have the choice to block banned users from viewing their livestreams. Banned users can still view clips and VODs, and they can bypass the block by logging out.
• Australia eSafety Commissioner Releases Report on Platforms’ Approach to CSEA: The Australia eSafety Commissioner has released a report on platforms’ approach to child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). The report includes Twitch, Discord, and YouTube.
• Twitch Layoffs Continue: It seems that the layoffs continue at Twitch, with more staffers reporting that they are being let go.

Commentary

The new Partner Qualification requirement is likely to make it more difficult for new creators to become Partners. The Sponsored Sub-Discounts test is interesting, and it will be curious to see if it is rolled out to more creators in the future. The new Monetization tab is a welcome change, as it makes it easier for creators to track their earnings.

It is disappointing to see that Twitch is trying to create artificial demand for Guest Star by stealing organic discovery from creators. This is a feature that few creators are using, and Twitch should be focusing on making it more attractive to creators and viewers alike.

The ability for streamers to block banned users from viewing their livestreams is a long-overdue feature. It is good to see that Twitch is finally taking steps to protect streamers from harassment.

The Australia eSafety Commissioner’s report on platforms’ approach to CSEA is a valuable resource. It is important to hold platforms accountable for their role in preventing and responding to CSEA.

The layoffs at Twitch are concerning. It is unclear what the long-term implications of these layoffs will be, but they are likely to have a negative impact on the platform.

Streaming News

• New Pro Livestreaming Camera Designed for Creators Launching Soon: An exciting new startup is launching the first pro livestreaming camera designed specifically for creators! The camera is expected to be unveiled at TwitchCon, where the company will be meeting with potential launch partners. If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to book a session quickly, as they are expected to fill up fast.
• Discord Adding Ability to Create Polls: Discord is adding the ability for users to create polls. This new feature will allow users to gather feedback from their communities on a variety of topics.
• Xsolla Acquires Lightstream, Rainmaker, and Api Stream: Xsolla, a global video games commerce company, has acquired Lightstream, Rainmaker, and Api Stream. These three companies are all leaders in the live streaming industry, and their acquisition by Xsolla is a sign of the growing importance of live streaming in the gaming industry.
• TikTok Launches New Content API: TikTok has launched a new content API called Direct Post. This API allows creators to post content and select features previously limited to the app. Some of the launch partners include Adobe Premiere, Twitch, Capcut, DaVinci Resolve, and SocialPilot. This new API is a major boon for creators, as it will make it easier for them to share their content with their fans on multiple platforms.
• BBC Article on TikTok’s Sponsorship of EGX: The BBC has written an article about TikTok’s sponsorship of EGX, a major gaming event in the United Kingdom. The article discusses what this sponsorship means for the gaming industry, and how it reflects TikTok’s growing influence in the gaming space.
• Content Production Studio Zygo Merges with Creator Education Company Pipeline: Content production studio Zygo is merging with Pipeline, a creator education company. Despite Pipeline’s CEO remaining CEO of the merged company, they will be dropping the Pipeline name entirely. This is an interesting development, and it will be interesting to see how the merged company fares in the future.
• Kick Adds Ability to Report Streams: 363 days after launch, you can now report streams on Kick via a button on channels. This is a welcome addition, as it will help to make the platform more user-friendly and safe for all users.

Overall, this is a very exciting month for the streaming industry. There are a lot of new developments happening, and it is clear that the industry is continuing to grow and evolve.

Twitch is Launching Stories This Week

Twitch is launching Stories this week, a new feature that will allow creators to share short-form content with their viewers. Stories will only be available on mobile devices and will disappear after 48 hours.

To use Stories, creators must be Partners or Affiliates and must have streamed for at least 45 minutes in the past 30 days. There will be three types of Stories that creators can create: Image, Clips, and Canvas.

Image Stories allow creators to upload an image or take a photo. Clips Stories allow creators to share their own clips or other creators’ featured clips. Canvas Stories allow creators to start with a basic gradient or background and then overlay text and Twitch emotes.

Viewers can react to Stories and will be notified when a new Story is posted if they have notifications turned on. Creators will have access to analytics for their Stories, including view counts and reactions.

Sub-only Stories require a streamer to have at least 30 active subscribers, including gifted subs.

Twitch is aiming to have Stories fully released by TwitchCon.

Here is a summary of the key details about Twitch Stories:

• Available to Partners and Affiliates who have streamed for at least 45 minutes in the past 30 days
• Three types of Stories: Image, Clips, and Canvas
• Stories disappear after 48 hours
• Viewers can react to Stories and will be notified when a new Story is posted if they have notifications turned on
• Creators will have access to analytics for their Stories, including view counts and reactions
• Sub-only Stories require a streamer to have at least 30 active subscribers, including gifted subs
• Only available on mobile devices
• Aiming to be fully released by TwitchCon