Kick, a rising platform determined to challenge Twitch's longstanding market dominance, has caused a stir in the streaming industry with a groundbreaking acquisition. This momentous development comes just a day after Kick made headlines for successfully signing Felix "xQc" Lengyel, a widely revered and influential male streamer on Twitch.
Having made its debut in December of last year, Kick quickly gained traction and popularity due to its more lenient policies and higher payouts compared to Twitch. These factors played a crucial role in the platform's success, prompting numerous prominent Twitch streamers to make the switch to Kick, with many others expressing their intention to do the same in the near future. However, the competition within the streaming industry intensified recently with Rumble's announcement of signing several major streaming stars, including Kai Cenat, iShowSpeed, and Mizkif. This dealt a significant blow to Kick, as many had expected these streaming stars to choose Kick as their next platform if they were to switch.
Kick has made a significant move in the streaming community by securing a deal with xQc for an impressive $70-100 million. Shortly after, they also signed Amouranth, Twitch's most-watched female streamer last year. While the specific details of Amouranth's contract with Kick have not been disclosed, her announcement video humorously references the lucrative deals and shows her packing her belongings to join Trainwreck-backed Kick.com.
These recent developments demonstrate Kick's determination to compete fiercely in the streaming industry and attract top talent. Amouranth, with her massive following of over 6.3 million on Twitch and years of streaming experience, is expected to make a significant impact. While the future of Kick in the streaming world remains uncertain, it is important to note that the platform has performed exceptionally well thus far, as revealed by a recent Kick viewership report.
The recent introduction of new advertising guidelines resulted in significant backlash for Twitch. However, in response to widespread criticism, the platform later reversed these guidelines. The controversy surrounding the guidelines prompted MrBeast to propose hosting a stream on Kick in support of Twitch streamers protesting against the platform's advertising policies. These events emphasize the need for Twitch to exercise caution and implement necessary measures to uphold its position as the top streaming platform, particularly in today's era of intensified competition.
