Twitch is a highly popular platform for live streaming. A wide range of content is streamed there. While it is primarily known for streaming video games, there are many other engaging topics to explore, including sports, music festivals, chat shows, art and science videos, and the latest trend: in-real-life streams.
The company’s full name is Twitch Interactive. It is currently a subsidiary of Amazon.
So, who owns it?
Amazon bought Twitch, so basically the owner is Jeff Bezos.
In this text, you will learn about the history of Twitch, who owns and operates it, and what changes have occurred since its acquisition.
Table of Contents
Who Owns Twitch – History of Twitch
The history of Twitch begins with the service justin.tv. Initially, it featured a 24-hour live stream of Justin Kan’s activities. Later, more individuals joined Kan—Kyle Vogt, Emmet Shear, and Michael Seibel—and they aimed to create an online platform where people could live stream their content. This service launched in October 2007 (in comparison, Twitter and Facebook were also in their early years at that time).
Various categories of content were available on justin.tv, such as live events and how-to tutorials. In 2011, the founders recognized the growing popularity of gaming content and decided to create a dedicated section on their website for this purpose. They named it Twitch.
Gradually, the Twitch section gained prominence. In 2014, the parent company rebranded as Twitch Interactive (the name by which we recognize this service today) and concentrated primarily on streaming video games. Justin.tv was discontinued.
Over time, Twitch Interactive has introduced various options and features for its users. Some of these innovations include the following:
In February 2014, Twitch was so popular that it ranked fourth among the largest sources of internet traffic in the US, following Netflix, Google, and Apple. Additionally, of all the live-streamed online content, as much as 40% is hosted on Twitch. To grasp the significance of this achievement, it is important to note that it was accomplished in just three years.
When Did Amazon Acquire Twitch?
Amazon wasn’t the only company interested in acquiring this rising star. Allegedly, Google intended to purchase it for approximately $1 billion, although this agreement was never officially confirmed. A possible reason for the failure of this deal could be the conflict between two streaming services: YouTube, which was already owned by Google, and Twitch, which would have been a potential addition to the company and its streaming competitor.
Additionally, it appears that Yahoo expressed interest in acquiring Twitch for $970 million, but this deal did not materialize.
In August 2014, after justin.tv was shut down, Amazon acquired Twitch Interactive for $970 million in cash. In their announcement of the purchase, they provided some statistics from the previous month: in July 2014, Twitch had over 55 million unique visitors watching more than 1 million broadcasters who streamed over 15 billion minutes of content.
In a statement to their users, Twitch CEO Emmett Shear stated that they would retain their office, employees, brand, and independence.
The key individuals include Shear, who remains the CEO, Sara Clemens (COO), and Erin Wayne (Community and Creator Marketing).
Twitch Purchases and Acquisitions
Twitch has made several acquisitions since 2014:
New Features of Twitch After Amazon Acquired It
Since Amazon’s acquisition, there have been numerous additions and innovations to the Twitch service:
Twitch Statistics in 2021
Twitch remains a highly popular service with impressive statistics. We would like to present some figures from Twitch Tracker, collected in mid-July 2021. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the numbers!
Currently:
Previous Month:
All Time Peaks:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Twitch worth?
Twitch is estimated to be worth $5 billion in 2021. This worth is a combination of income from the live-streaming and deals with many big companies. As the company is expected to expand and grow even further, its net worth will rise as well.
Does Jeff Bezos own Twitch?
Yes. Twitch was bought by Amazon in 2014, only three years after being founded. The price was $970 million and it was paid in cash. Amazon and all its acquisitions are owned by Jeff Bezos, and so is Twitch.
Does Twitch make a profit?
Yes, Twitch is a for-profit company. It gets its profit from various sources. They include subscriptions fees, ads, through their own currency (Bits) that can be purchased on Amazon, and by selling goods. One part of that income is shared with the content creators.
Conclusion
Twitch began as a leader in live streaming video games and remains the top platform today. Its rapid growth can be observed through its statistics, acquisitions, and the regular introduction of new and updated features.
The vast community of Twitch broadcasters and viewers demonstrates that it is one of the best companies to own today. It is clear that Amazon made a wise decision by acquiring it.
Related: How to Stream on Twitch
