Twitch now allows simultaneous streaming on competing platforms

With several live streaming platforms currently available, streamers may be undecided on where to focus their audience, whether on Twitch, YouTube, Kick or any other. But now, Twitch has announced that its users will be able to simultaneously stream on other platforms without penalties.

This change in the platform’s usage guidelines was announced by Twitch last weekend and updates the rules that prohibited streamers from carrying out simulcasting, as the practice of simultaneous live broadcasts on multiple platforms is called, with the risk of losing monetization from your channel or even being banned.

Twitch relaxes its platform rules

In an attempt to minimize the effects of competing platforms on its user base, Twitch has been relaxing some of its exclusivity rules, giving greater freedom to the content of its streamers.

In August of this year, for example, Amazon’s live streaming platform had already released simulcasting with other video platforms, such as TikTok, but the rule prohibited the practice on platforms such as YouTube and Kick, Twitch’s current biggest competitors.

Now, as announced during TwitchCon Las Vegas, which took place between October 20th and 22nd, Twitch streamers are free to carry out simultaneous broadcasts on other platforms, including YouTube and Kick.

The novelty could benefit not only small and medium-sized streamers to have more chances to monetize their content, but it could also bring back big names to the Amazon platform, such as xQc and Amouranth, both with a non-exclusivity contract with Kick.

The possibility of simulcasting, however, cannot harm Twitch’s user experience, that is, the quality of the video on the Amazon platform must be the same as that on other platforms.

Furthermore, the streamer cannot publish links or other tools that take the viewer to any of the other platforms where the broadcast is taking place.

Twitch also states that there are no restrictions on tools or plugins for the streamer to carry out simulcasting.

The battle of live streaming platforms

With the arrival of Kick, which offers a higher percentage of revenue to streamers, the battle of live streaming platforms intensified.

While YouTube remains the absolute leader, Twitch is the main live streaming platform for gamer content. And this is where Kick wants to gain a greater market share.

With a large investment from an online betting platform, Kick has its main competition in Twitch and the audience on the Amazon platform, its streamers and spectators, is its main target for conquest.