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.

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:

  • They introduced the Affiliate and Partner programs that enable streamers to earn money.
  • Twitch now has publisher and corporate partnerships.
  • They organize TwitchCon.

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.

When Did Amazon Buy Twitch?

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:

  • 2014: GoodGame Agency - this organization owns Evil Geniuses and Alliance, both esports teams. It was divested by Amazon in 2016.
  • 2016: Curse Inc. - a network of gaming websites.
  • 2017: ClipMine - a platform for video annotation.
  • 2019: Internet Games Database (IGDB) - a catalog of video games.

New Features of Twitch After Amazon Acquired It

Since Amazon's acquisition, there have been numerous additions and innovations to the Twitch service:

  • August 2016: the feature ‘Cheering’ was introduced. These emoticons are purchased using Twitch currency (‘bits’ - available for purchase through Amazon Payment), and these payments serve as donations for the channel.
  • September 2016: Twitch Prime - premium features for all Amazon Prime subscribers. The advertising-free access feature ended in September/October 2018. Twitch Turbo subscription is now required for that.
  • December 2016: AutoMod - a semi-automated tool for chat moderation.
  • February 2017: Twitch Game Store - a platform for purchasing games - was discontinued in November 2018.
  • October 2018: Amazon Blacksmith - an extension for displaying products with Amazon affiliate links.
  • September 2019: new logo and website design.
  • December 2019: Twitch began offering exclusivity deals. The first gamers to sign these were DrLupo, TimTheTatman, and Lirik.
  • May 2020: The Safety Advisory Council was formed.
  • August 2020: Twitch Prime was renamed Prime Gaming.

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:

  • Over 2,000,000 viewers
  • Over 65,000 channels going live
  • 2,500 games streamed

Previous Month:

  • Nearly 2,000,000 hours of streams
  • More than 8,000,000 active streamers

All Time Peaks:

  • Over 6,500,000 viewers
  • Over 200,000 active channels

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Twitch worth?

Twitch is estimated to be worth $5 billion in 2021. This valuation is a result of income generated from live streaming and partnerships with several major companies. As the company is anticipated to expand and grow further, its net worth is expected to increase as well.

Does Jeff Bezos own Twitch?

Yes. Twitch was acquired by Amazon in 2014, just three years after its founding. The purchase price was $970 million, paid in cash. Jeff Bezos owns Amazon and all its acquisitions, including Twitch.

Does Twitch make a profit?

Yes, Twitch is a for-profit company. It generates revenue from various sources, including subscription fees, advertisements, its own currency (Bits) available for purchase on Amazon, and merchandise sales. A portion of this income is shared with 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