Kick, Twitch’s rival, distinguishes itself with a creator-friendly approach

Launched in January 2023, Kick is a streaming platform with a more creator-friendly approach than Twitch or YouTube Live.As a streaming platform, Kick has the same core features as others, allowing viewers to watch streamers, chat with them, and provide financial support with tips or by subscribing.Kick stands out from Twitch and YouTube Live by offering creators a larger revenue share. According to the BBC, Kick allows creators to retain 95 percent of the revenue from subscribers.In comparison, Twitch offers 50 percent and YouTube offers 70 percent, making it an appealing choice for many creators. Another unique feature Kick has is that it allows a creator to stream with friends, even when they are not in the same location.Kick’s star streamersAs of November 2023, less than a year since Kick was launched, the platform has convinced some popular creators to partner with it. Trainwreckstv, one of Kick’s co-founders, is among them.Presently, Trainwreckstv has over two million followers on Twitch. However, as Twitch began enforcing stricter rules regarding gambling streams, he opted to start streaming on Kick as well. Now, he has amassed 277,122 followers on the platform.Another prominent streamer who has partnered with Kick is Félix “xQc” Lengyel, who boasts 12 million subscribers on Twitch. To get xQc on its platform, Kick offered him a deal worth $100 million, more than some traditional sports deals. On Kick, he now has more than 660,000 followers. Aside from reaction and daily life content, he is known for his gambling streams.Kick also partners with Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa, one of the biggest female streamers on Twitch, with 6.4 million followers.Joining Kick in June 2023, she now has more than 200,000 subscribers. She is known for creating sensual content, which she shares via her social media and OnlyFans.Kick also partners with the star streamer Tfue. Known as a Fortnite legend, he is one of the first streamers who could gather 10 million followers on Twitch.Before joining Kick, he had taken a five-month break from streaming and social media. Within a week of his announcement of joining Kick, Tfue gained almost 200,000 followers. Popular games on KickAccording to Statista, the game live-streaming market is expected to reach $13.65 billion this year, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.41 percent for the period of 2024 and 2027.This estimate suggests the industry’s market value will reach $17.39 billion by 2027. The significant revenue generated by game live streaming raises a question — why do people enjoy watching others play?One reason people enjoy watching streamers play is to improve their gaming skills. Another reason is to gather information to help them decide whether to purchase a game.Lastly, viewers enjoy watching professionals showcase their expertise. Consequently, many popular games on live streaming platforms like Kick are multiplayer games.Among the ten most popular games on Kick, seven are multiplayer games or offer a multiplayer mode, including Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, Counter-Strike 2, Fortnite, Valorant, Overwatch 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Apex Legends.As of October 2023, Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 had an average of 59,000 daily players, with hundreds of streamers regularly streaming the game and 50,000 followers for the title. The game’s popularity was attributed to its introduction of new themed content and weapons.Another popular shooter game on Kick is Counter-Strike 2. Released in September of the previous year, Counter-Strike 2 quickly gained fans. Just a month after its launch, the FPS gained 3,400 followers on Kick.While multiplayer games dominate Kick’s platform, single-player games also boast dedicated fans. In fact, the most popular game on Kick is Grand Theft Auto (GTA) V, which had more than 21,000 followers as of October 2023.The enduring popularity of GTA V on Kick is unsurprising, as it still attracts 100,000 players per month, despite being launched a decade ago. Its appeal lies in its unpredictable gameplay, which makes it highly entertaining.Sports games such as NBA 2K24 and EA Sports FC 24 also enjoy popularity among Kick’s audience. Despite being launched in September 2023, NBA 2K24 garnered over 4,000 followers on Kick within just one month.It has also become the game of choice for prominent streamers like xQc and Adin Ross. One of the main draws of this game is its MyCareer mode, where players can guide rookie basketball players to become pros. Kick’s explosive growthFor years, Twitch has dominated the live streaming space. The Amazon-owned platform even managed to shut down Mixer, backed by Microsoft, in 2020, leaving YouTube as its sole competitor until Kick was launched.Although Kick is currently smaller, its growth is rapid. From January to April 2023, Kick saw a 404 percent growth rate. In January 2023, Kick had only 12.8 million hours of watched content, which skyrocketed to 51.8 million hours by April of the same year.Another metric indicating Kick’s growth is active channels. At the end of January 2023, there were only 9,000 active channels, compared to 67,000 active channels by the end of April 2023.In the latter half of 2023, Kick’s growth did not slow down either. By June 2023, the total hours watched on Kick reached 84.1 million hours, marking a 44 percent increase from the previous month.During the same period, the number of active streamers on Kick surged from five million to 12 million.Similar to Twitch, Kick categorizes streamers based on game and topic. In June of the previous year, “Just Chatting” was the most popular category, garnering 27.7 million hours watched, followed by “Slots and Casinos,” with over 15 million hours watched.Trends in the gaming industryThe emergence of the internet has transformed the landscape of the gaming industry, enabling gamers to connect with like-minded individuals across different countries. Consequently, numerous online gaming communities have sprung up, categorized by genre or specific games.For instance, in narrative-focused single-player games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, players can form communities based on their shared goal of completing the game as quickly as possible.Even games without a storyline, such as Sims, can encourage players to build a community, such as one dedicated to bringing custom characters to life.Competitive games like FPS titles also foster community building, albeit with different objectives, like finding teammates or improving skills. The love for gathering and community is a driving force behind the thriving live game streaming industry.However, some gaming communities can turn toxic. Therefore, platforms like Kick must have clear guidelines to ensure the safety of both streamers and audiences. On its community guidelines page, Kick emphasizes the importance of constructive dialogue with its streamers.Rather than resorting to punitive measures, which can exacerbate resentment and perpetuate disruptive behavior, Kick prefers open discussions about streamers’ actions, intentions, and potential remediation.To enforce its rules, Kick employs various methods. It begins with polite warnings in the chat to address and correct improper behavior.If a creator fails to heed the warning, Kick may escalate to a termination warning, notifying the streamer that their broadcast may be terminated if they continue with disruptive behavior.Kick also reserves the right to remove or hide inappropriate content. Persistent violations may result in an account ban to maintain a safe environment. In cases of repeated violations or evasion of previous bans, Kick may terminate an account.Additionally, Kick has measures in place to enforce rules on moderators and audiences, including the ability to revoke moderator privileges and mute accounts in chats, forums, or Discord.Gambling streamsIn August 2023, Twitch announced that it would no longer allow its streamers to broadcast gambling content from online casinos not licensed in the US. In contrast, Kick permits its streamers not only to showcase live casino games but also to establish partnerships with the world’s largest online casino, Stake, as seen with Nick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff.Kolcheff, co-owner of FaZe Clan and a popular Call of Duty streamer, secured a $10 million deal with Kick. During his inaugural stream on the platform, he disclosed his intention to incorporate gambling content, having also signed a contract with Stake.com, an online casino owned by Ed Craven, a co-founder of Kick.Apart from Kolcheff, Kick features other streamers who broadcast gambling content alongside gaming material, such as xQc, who achieved a $2.2 million win in 2022 while playing Joker Troupe, one of the slot games on Stake.com, and Ishmael “Roshtein,” an exclusive gambling content creator.Events on KickIn addition to gaming, many streamers venture into boxing. In September 2023, Colombian streamer Luis “WestCol” Villa hosted an event named Stream Fighters 2 on Kick, the first of its kind on the platform.Hosted and sponsored by Kick, Stream Fighters 2 took place at the Movistar Arena, with a capacity of 5,600 people. Tickets for this event, featuring streamers from Argentina, Colombia, and Spain, sold out three weeks before the event started.Not only did Stream Fighters 2 succeed offline, but it also shattered Kick’s viewership records.At its peak, the event attracted 808,000 viewers, nearly quadrupling the viewership of the first Stream Fighters, streamed on Twitch in 2022, which peaked at 161,000 viewers.Aside from gamers, Kick also caters to esports fans, as evidenced by its partnership with PGL, the operator behind CS2 Major Copenhagen. PGL announced its partnership with Kick on February 14. In December 2023, Kick also held a tournament for Call of Duty: Warzone, with a prize of $1,000.Kick also held some holiday events, such as Merry Kickmas 2023 and Day Secret Admirer for Valentine’s Day. In the Merry Kickmas event, Kick asked creators, small or big, to give Christmas messages.To participate in the event, a streamer only needed to record their message and post it on X with the hashtag #MerryKickmas.Meanwhile, for Day Secret Admirer, Kick encouraged its community to send a secret message by filling out a Google form with their personal information and the information of their crush or friend, along with a compliment. The only requirement to take part in this event is to have an account on Kick and X.Future of live game streamingData from Statista shows that the revenue of the game live-streaming market will reach $13.65 billion this year, with an Average Revenue per User (ARPU) of $10.36.By 2027, the projected revenue of this market is expected to reach $17.38 billion, with the number of viewers estimated to reach 1.6 billion people.Meanwhile, 40 percent of game developers surveyed by Insider Intelligence believed that among all gaming platforms, streaming will experience the most growth, while 24 percent of respondents believed it would be mobile gaming. Additionally, the adoption of 5G will enable fast downloads and even support HD graphics.There are a few reasons why the live-streaming industry is expected to continue growing. First, it offers live interaction. When a viewer watches their favorite streamer, they can interact with them via chat.The audience can also provide financial support with tips and subscriptions. In the end, this will increase engagement and create a sense of belonging, resulting in a community.Another reason why the live streaming industry will continue to grow is because it gives creators a way to connect with their audience in an authentic way.After all, the audience can see the streamers’ expressions and body language, which will strengthen the emotional bond between them. Lastly, live streaming technologies are becoming more accessible, driving its growth.ConclusionFor years, Twitch has dominated the live-streaming platform landscape to the extent that its dominance has appeared almost monopolistic. However, if this “monopoly” persists, it could potentially harm both streamers and the community.Now that Twitch has solidified its position as the leading live-streaming platform, it may adjust its strategy regarding exclusivity contracts.The platform could offer less money to streamers, or in the worst-case scenario, cease offering exclusive contracts altogether, reducing streamers’ leverage.This underscores the importance of Kick as Twitch’s rival. Kick provides an alternative platform for streamers seeking better terms for revenue sharing.Additionally, Kick is important because it offers alternative viewing options, especially in cases where Twitch is inclined to ban certain content, such as gambling streams.



Source link