Facebook Paying Creators $1K to $3K, Twitch Kills Combos, XTuber + Janusport Streaming Rugby

Hello! Welcome to the weekly newsletter! In this edition, Facebook is planning to offer $1K to $3K to US-based short video creators with 100K+ followers on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube... time is truly circular. A good opportunity, but always be wary when Facebook is writing the checks. Twitch is killing Combos, their Temu TikTok Gifts clone that was doomed from day one. XTuber is going to have a whole new meaning - get your head out of the gutter! And I'm moving next Monday, so expect that newsletter to be shorter than usual. Now, let's get right into it!

🟪 TWITCH

• Twitch is running a Turbo promotion at various percentage discounts.
• An official beta test of Creator Badge Rewards is underway.
• Twitch is shutting down Combos at the end of March. An entirely expected outcome from day one of this silly push to Temu TikTokify the platform.
• Twitch is presenting the Creator Stage at PAX East.
• Twitch revamped its careers page.
• Lovable, an AI app-building tool, can now be connected to Twitch streams.

🟥 YOUTUBE

• YouTube has launched Jewels and Gifts in South Korea.
• A new AI tool from YouTube, called Reimagine, allows you to remix Shorts.
• YouTube is surveying to improve AI slop and make it less noticeable that it's AI slop.
• YouTube has partnered with the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

⬛ TIKTOK

• Whistleblowers say Meta and TikTok allow harmful content to gain traction.
• Ipsos shared research into TikTok's role in the creator economy.
• Tubi has partnered with TikTok to launch the Creatorverse Incubator to support creators in developing original shows.

🟦 OTHER STREAMERS

• Kick has entirely rewritten its Community Guidelines to be much more legally precise and far stricter than before. Read the complete rules here.
• Kick has updated the Terms of Service to include ad-based language.
• Business Insider featured Kick because of Clavicular.
• Kick is asking users to identify their gender and location (optional).