Ninja has criticized Twitch‘s new ban on simulcasting–and he’s given its gleefully growing competitor Kick a first try.
For those not up to speed with Twitch’s latest screwups, last week, it tried quietly rolling out unprecedented restrictions on branded content that would’ve tanked streamers’ ability to land deals with sponsors. After swift and loud backlash from creators and viewers, Twitch (supposedly) axed the new rules. But another change is sticking around: a ban on simulcasting.
Simulcasting tech allows streamers to broadcast on a home platform–say, Twitch–but also project that broadcast to other platforms, like YouTube and Kick, in real time. This lets them get viewers and grow their audiences across multiple platforms simultaneously.
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Twitch is not a fan of that. Its updated policy bars every Twitch user (not just affiliates and partners who’ve signed contracts with it) from simulcasting to any “Twitch-like” platform. The policy appears to cover long-form competitors only; there’s an exception for affiliates and partners allowing them to simulcast to “short-form mobile services” like TikTok and Instagram. We’re not sure if that exception extends to non-affiliates/partners.
Ninja tweeted this morning that the new simulcasting policy “only hurts their platform and the creators on their site.”
“Exclusive contracts are different of course and should be handled on a base to base, but overall it’s time we give the power back to the creators,” he added.
That statement comes after Ninja (who left Twitch for what he thought were greener pastures in 2019) tried streaming on Kick for the first time June 9.
“All right, fuck it, we’re getting off Twitch and going to YouTube, man,” he said during a brief Twitch stream June 9. “I’m getting off early. You know where else we’re going today, dude? That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever we’re going to say YOLO swag fuck it, and test out Kick.”
We don’t have viewership stats on the stream, but Ninja now has just under 25,000 followers on Kick.
Kick has been basking in Twitch’s backlash. After pulling some slick PR during the branded content fiasco, it more than doubled its previous 24-hour user signup record. And it’s keeping a close eye on Ninja, too:
Big moves 💚💚💚
— Kick.com (@KickStreaming) June 9, 2023
