Twitch competitor Kick is setting its sights on the big leagues. Founder Bijan Tehrani now dropped a bombshell, claiming Kick’s endgame is to either outpace Twitch or straight-up buy it. Talk about shooting for the stars.
Let’s break this down. Kick, backed by online gambling giant Stake, has been making waves in the streaming world. They’ve been throwing cash at top streamers like it’s going out of style, luring them away from Twitch with promises of better deals and fewer restrictions.
But beating Twitch? That’s a tall order. Amazon’s streaming juggernaut has been the go-to platform for gamers and content creators for years. It’s got the infrastructure, the audience, and the backing of one of the world’s richest companies.
Big respect to Kai, we tried to get him and speed over but we didn’t even have a mobile app at the time. Ultimately they signed with rumble which gave them a lot more flexibility (1-2 streams a month).
— Bijan Tehrani (@BijanTehrani) November 12, 2024
We aren’t doing big signings right now, our priority is our tech. Don’t…
Tehrani’s claim has kicked off some serious chatter in the community. Some are cheering on the underdog, hoping for some real competition in the streaming space. Others are rolling their eyes, calling it a pipe dream.
The numbers don’t lie. Twitch might be losing money, but it’s part of Amazon’s bigger picture. It drives traffic to other Amazon services and keeps users in their ecosystem. That’s worth more than just dollars and cents.
Kick, on the other hand, is still the new kid on the block. Sure, they’ve got Stake’s gambling money behind them, but turning that into a Twitch-beating machine? That’s easier said than done.
Even if Kick managed to scrounge up enough cash to make an offer, would Amazon sell? Twitch is more than just a streaming platform for them. It’s a key part of their strategy to keep people glued to Amazon’s services.
There’s also the question of whether Kick could actually run Twitch profitably if they did buy it. Running a massive streaming platform isn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Still, Tehrani’s bold statement has got people talking. If nothing else, it’s put Kick on the map and signaled that they’re not content with being a small-time player. You can bet the streaming wars just got a lot more interesting.
