- Several influential video game streamers have migrated from Twitch to Youtube
- Some speculate this is the beginning of the end for the Amazon-owned platform
- This likely isn't true but definitely shows the rise of YouTube as Twitch's primary competitor
The quitting of several Twitch streamers sparks a discussion of whether or not the Amazon platform is failing to keep up with YouTube.
A Talent Drain to YouTube
TimTheTatman and DrLupo will be continuing the trend of content creators migrating from Twitch to YouTube. As their leave follows other streamers leaving or being kicked out of the platform, some speculate that Twitch's end is nigh. Analysts from Dexerto took a look to see if that is correct.
TimTheTatman announced his leave on September 1, which coincided with the #ADayOffTwitch initiative. He later announced he feel much happier now. This further convinced many gaming fans that Twitch's days of ruling the streaming market are soon going to come to an end.
The reality is that there have been some major migrations, but the #ADayOffTwitch has nothing to do with most of them. The initiative is actually an appeal from content creators that demands more action against raids from the platform moderators as well as an end to the platform's favoritism and inexplicable sudden bans.
Insights from some people who have left Twitch in favor of YouTube reveal that the monetary aspect played a big role. Valkyrae and DrLupo were quite open on the matter and confirmed they were mainly driven by the better financial stability that YouTube offers.
“Everybody's just trying to secure the bag, right? There's no shame in that,” Dr Lupo said.
Valkyrae revealed that her contract with YouTube was way more beneficial than what she had at the time.
“I can do what I want and not have to worry about numbers and stuff. If I have one viewer, I'll be fine,” she mentioned.
This is an interesting statement as it points out that it is possible YouTube isn't looking for views as much as hiring recognized content creators in order to establish itself on the gaming market. Two years ago, the streaming platform Mixer had tried to do something similar by hiring Ninja and shroud with some very tempting contracts.
YouTube's Flaws
YouTube currently has a bigger gaming audience if we count every gaming video. However, that isn't quite the same if we take a look at streaming exclusively, with Twitch having about five times as many simultaneous viewers of live gaming content (about 3 million) as YouTube has (around 600,000).
YouTube also still isn't quite as lucrative for the average streamer, meaning it won't overtake Twitch overnight. Despite that, establishing a strong foundation by hiring well-known names is an important step for YouTube's streaming market.
Most importantly, YouTube's platform still lacks a lot in certain crucial aspects. The platform requires much more effort to find a certain stream than its competitor. During the Call of Duty league, numerous fans couldn't find the stream right away. Considering how big the esports CLD league is, this is a big marketing problem. The lack of embed function in YouTube is just as worse as it prevents videos from being shared around on websites.
Lastly, the variety of chat functions give Twitch a clear edge over YouTube. People have grown highly accustomed to the qualities of life in Twitch, as well as the variety of trend-setting emotes such as PogChamp and KEKW.
YouTube is likely fully aware of these facts and will undoubtedly work towards fixing its native issues. The platform definitely has the resources to stand against Twitch. The latter service has also had some instances of fan distrust where questionable decisions have impacted the community. One example is the curious case of Dr Disrespect's mysterious ban that destroyed a lot of his opportunities and has gotten him preparing for a lawsuit against Twitch. Another example is Asmongold, who was just denied an exclusive contract despite being a beloved WoW streamer.
For now, YouTube isn't overtaking Twitch on the streaming market. Regardless if it does in the future or not, it will be an interesting race to watch.
