Interview – Twitch welcomes competition from Kick: “It means we’re onto a good thing”

Twitch welcomes competition from rival platforms like Kick, as APAC Content Director Lewis Mitchell explained to us at Dexerto in an exclusive interview, arguing their recent investment is beneficial for the industry at large.

The original streaming wars saw juggernauts jostling for position atop the industry with blockbuster exclusivity deals thrown around on a seemingly weekly basis. With a constant push to capture the masses and lure crowds away from rivals, it was certainly an exciting time for fans around the globe.

For the most part, the original wave of this competition died down in recent years as the plug was pulled on Mixer, Facebook Gaming scaled back its involvement, and Twitch largely continued to dominate the space as it did prior. Though a new challenger has since stepped into the ring and reignited the war. Kick has emerged as a new contender, one that doesn’t appear to be slowing down its aggressive push anytime soon.

Be it more enticing revenue splits with content creators or the many mouthwatering contracts being floated to the very biggest online celebs, we’ve already seen plenty of Twitch superstars ink deals as the competition ramps up once again in 2023.

This competition, however, is something the Amazon-backed streaming giant welcomes with a smile.

Kick continues to ramp up its active userbase, and Twitch appears thrilled for all involved.

In a recent sit-down at PAX Australia 2023 with Twitch’s APAC Content Director Lewis Mitchell, he outlined how, from their perspective, the competition is just another sign they’re on the right track as a company.

“The way we think about it is if you have people wanting to invest in the livestreaming space, it means you’re doing something right. It means we’re onto a good thing,” Mitchell said.

“Whenever you’re onto a good thing, other people are going to come along and want to build on that, and that’s great.”

The recent surge in interest around Kick seemingly isn’t perceived as a threat to Twitch’s foothold, and they don’t appear actively concerned with what the rival platform is doing in the day-to-day. Rather, as Mitchell explained, the competition is simply another area of growth in the industry that helps benefit everyone involved.

“From our side, we keep coming to these events, listening to [streamers], making sure we’re giving them what they need. As part of that, as the industry grows, you’re going to have other people come along, and that’s great.”

As for the sheer value attached to some of the landmark streaming deals in recent months, the dollar signs don’t come as a surprise to Twitch, Mitchell added. When asked if xQc’s reported $100 million non-exclusive deal caught him by surprise, he replied, “honestly, no.”

“It’s just one of those things. We keep focusing on our creators and what they need. Others can invest in the ways they invest.”