Twitch Worth $45B, Unity Guilds, Apple Forces Kick to Moderate, and the Lofi Girl Universe Grows
The streaming space is in an uncomfortable position. The pandemic created a bubble where many live streamers saw viewer growth, revenue increases, and other improvements. But, as the world returns to normal and edges toward global recession, streamers feel the opposite: declining viewers, decreased revenue, and uncertainty about their future. And when creators start to feel the pressure of decline, I notice they tend to start making rash decisions. It's all about trying to stop the bleeding.
While most creators often don't become creators with a business plan in mind, if sustainability and longevity as a creator is your goal - you have to start thinking about it more seriously. That means developing a plan, setting target goals, and actionable ways of getting there. And not just short-term, but multi-year plans as well! Times of decline create opportunities for those who are prepared, and when the good times return, they ride the wave to greater success. Just some food for thought - but now let's get into the news.
Twitch News
- Twitchcon Paris tickets are now on sale. Sadly for Partners, the 50% discount is no longer offered.
- Two cohorts of 33% of logged-out Twitch users will see a new overlay on the chat encouraging them to sign up or sign in.
- Guest Star is getting an API for Start/Ending Sessions, Add/Remove Guests, and more.
- A new "Content Tuning" feature appeared this week, allowing you to recommend to Twitch what content categories you like.
- There's a new Highlight for Returning Chatters.
- According to Needham & Co (investment bank), Twitch is worth $45 BILLION!
- Former employees are concerned about Safety on Twitch.
- The new Twitch Unity Guilds announced their leaders this week: Black Guild led by EspeSymone and JermainePlays, the Women's Guild led by ChelseaBytes and CocoConfession; and the Latin Guild led by Elix and Jubby.
- New Twitch CEO Tom "Dan" Clancy is doing a streamer media tour, appearing in Bloomberg, an hour-long Spawn on Me interview, meetings with creators like Mizkif, ExtraEmily, and a rumored appearance coming with Filian.
- Channel Skins has a new, less intrusive overlay. (It remains in very, very limited testing.)