Amazon‘s gamer-centric streaming outlet Twitch is laying off 500 staffers, CEO Dan Clancy told employees in a memo Wednesday morning. The move is being made in sync with cutbacks at corporate siblings Prime Video and Amazon Studios. Bloomberg had reported the layoffs at Twitch on Tuesday. Clancy said the news had “leaked,” suggesting that the Amazon division had to hold off on confirming any details or answering employee questions in order to co-ordinate today’s announcement with that of the other divisions.
Social media and content moderation experts said Twitch’s quick response was the best that could reasonably be expected. But the fact that the response did not prevent the video of the attack from being spread widely on other sites also raises the issue of whether the ability to livestream should be so easily accessible.
One newsroom is experimenting with the livestream service to reach new viewers and increase transparency.
The livestreaming site announced new guidelines after contending with claims that its streamers were too easily abused.
Exclusives
Both Twitch and Reddit have made moves against the president’s political content, citing violations of terms of service. Twitch confirmed today that it has temporarily suspended the president’s account. “Hateful conduct is not allowed on Twitch,” a spokesperson for the streaming giant said.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts and former President George W. Bush will be among 200 star-studded participants in a 24-hour global livestream event. The Call to Unite […]
The Gillette Gaming Alliance will be composed of 11 Twitch streamers from 11 countries active on the platform. Those gamers will represent the Gillette brand, and create related content for their viewers.
The league is finally dropping a requirement that viewers sign in with a cable or satellite subscription, in hopes of expanding its online audience at a time when TV ratings are declining . Though there are restrictions — no free streaming on smart TVs, for instance — the move marks a significant departure for sports.
As video gaming grows into an online spectator sport, gameplay video feeds are becoming increasingly lucrative. Twitch had 55 million unique visitors in July, most of whom went to the Twitch.tv website to watch other people play games — competitions interspersed with advertising. “Broadcasting and watching gameplay is a global phenomenon and Twitch has built a platform that brings together tens of millions of people who watch billions of minutes of games each month,” said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
Google has reportedly closed a deal to acquire Twitch for $1 billion to join YouTube as it builds out its video and live streaming business. The deal highlights the use of the Web for live streaming events, especially for sports and concerts.
Google’s YouTube has reached a deal to buy Twitch, a popular videogame streaming company, for more than $1 billion, according to sources familiar with the pact. The deal, in an all-cash offer, is expected to be announced imminently, sources said. If completed, the acquisition would be the most significant in the history of YouTube, which Google acquired in 2006 for $1.65 billion. The impending acquisition comes after longtime Google ad exec Susan Wojcicki was named CEO of YouTube earlier this year.
