Twitch’s Multistreaming Experiment
In a surprising move, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy confirmed that the company has granted popular streamer Ninja permission to multistream, i.e., to livestream simultaneously on multiple platforms. This is a first for the platform, which generally requires streamers to obtain written permission for simulcasting on platforms similar to Twitch, except for mobile-first services like TikTok.
This change in policy is not just a major win for Ninja, but it could also be a game-changer for smaller streamers. Multistreaming can be a powerful tool for those looking to establish an audience. By broadcasting on multiple platforms at once, streamers have the opportunity to reach a broader audience, increasing their visibility and potentially accelerating their growth.
This shift in Twitch’s policy comes amid the rise of rival platforms. Kick, the latest entrant in the market, has been signing contracts with high-profile Twitch streamers such as xQc and Amouranth. Instead of tightening its policies to retain its audience, Twitch seems to be considering a more liberal approach, potentially granting more freedom to its users in the future.
However, Clancy made it clear that the company is still figuring out the best way to handle multistreaming permissions. This indicates that the policy change is still a work in progress and we can expect more developments in the future.
View-Botting: Twitch’s Hidden Embed Problem
The issue of inflated viewer counts through hidden embeds on websites has been a hot topic in the streaming community over the past week. This practice, often referred to as view-botting, can artificially boost the perceived popularity of a stream and mislead sponsors about the actual reach of their advertisements.
Hidden embeds work by incorporating live streams into other websites. When users visit these sites, they are counted as viewers, even if they don’t engage with the stream, thereby inflating viewer counts. Often, these embeds are hidden and muted from the user browsing the website, meaning they may not even be aware they’re contributing to a stream’s viewer count.
This practice has far-reaching implications for the live-streaming ecosystem:
- It pushes genuine streamers further down in discovery algorithms, making it harder for them to grow their audience.
- It misleads sponsors into believing they’re reaching a larger audience than they actually are, leading to potential misallocation of advertising budgets.
- If sponsors see no return on their investment, they may pull back on marketing spend on streamers, impacting the entire community.
Currently, Twitch counts views from embeds as real views, a practice that contributes to viewer number inflation. While this may boost the platform’s popularity and attract advertisers, it also encourages view-botting.
It’s unlikely that Twitch will stop counting views from embeds as these changes could impact Twitch’s reported user numbers and, in turn, its bottom line. This controversy underscores the need for transparency and accuracy in reporting viewer numbers, for the integrity of the platform, its streamers, and the advertisers who support them.
Many top streamers have also shared their views on the topic.
Record-Breaking 8 Million Tune in Live for India’s Moon Landing
The Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing livestream has set a new record with over 8 million viewers tuning in live, surpassing the previous record of 6.5 million viewers set by CazéTV’s World Cup stream last year. This historic event, which was globally accessible, allowed millions to witness India’s third lunar exploration mission in real time.
The livestream’s success is a testament to the power of live streaming and its role in bringing landmark events to a global audience. The VOD of the livestream has further demonstrated its reach, garnering over 75 million views at the time of writing.
The record-breaking viewership is significant, given that India boasts the largest YouTube user base in the world. This event not only marked a milestone in space exploration but also in digital broadcasting, highlighting the potential of livestreaming to reach vast audiences.
This record-breaking event signifies a shift in the livestreaming landscape, demonstrating the medium’s ability to bring together diverse audiences to share significant moments of human achievement.
News Highlights
- TwitchCon Las Vegas has released its full schedule.
- Twitch announces new ambassadors: broxh_, Carla, CDawgVA, Hayzee, LoserFruit, Megaa, and Trash.
- Twitch Partners can now earn more Partner Plus Points for Tier 2/3 subscriptions and view their points analytics on their dashboard.
- Once set as ‘Featured Clips’, Twitch Clips can no longer be deleted or edited by the original clipper.
- YouTube will start to revoke Community Guidelines Warnings after 90 days if creators complete educational training.
- YouTube has begun rolling out Shorts linking to long-form videos for all users.
- Discord has started testing live stream clipping functionality.
- Kick is introducing new chat badges for hosts, moderators, subscribers, and other roles.
- Kick signs famous soccer transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano.
- TikTok is planning to prohibit links to e-commerce sites such as Amazon.
- Streamy Awards winners include Kai Cenat for Streamer of the Year, IShowSpeed for Variety Streamer, Quackity for Just Chatting, and Tenz for Competitive Gamer.
