Kick co-founder Bijan Tehrani recently made bold claims about the platform’s future, asserting that Kick aims to either surpass Twitch or acquire it. Launched in late 2022, Kick was founded with the ambitious vision of challenging Twitch’s dominance in the livestreaming space.
While Twitch has maintained its position as the industry leader, competitors like Mixer and Facebook Gaming have struggled to leave a lasting mark. However, Kick is making notable progress, driven largely by its appealing Creator Program and more lenient community guidelines. The platform compensates streamers hourly based on factors such as stream duration and viewer engagement, while streamers retain 95% of ad and subscription revenue, with Kick taking just a 5% cut. Additionally, Kick has signed several high-profile streamers like Adin Ross, xQc, and Amouranth, bolstering its efforts to compete more directly with Twitch’s massive audience.
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One streamer Kick pursued was Kai Cenat, who recently claimed that Kick offered him $60 million to sign, but Trainwreck said it was $22 million per year. In a follow-up clip shared on Twitter, Kai clarified the situation, and in response, Kick co-founder Bijan Tehrani confirmed that Kick had attempted to sign both Kai and iShowSpeed. He explained that the platform was still in its early stages, lacking key features like a mobile app, and noted that Kai and Speed ultimately chose to sign with Rumble. Additionally, Tehrani emphasized that Kick is currently focused on technology rather than big signings, but the platform is seeing record usage and is committed to long-term growth, with the ultimate goal to “either beat Twitch or buy them out.”
Kick vs Twitch: The Battle for Streaming Dominance
It is worth noting that a senior Twitch executive previously commented on the competition with Kick, expressing that Twitch welcomes the rivalry with enthusiasm. He stated that increased investment in livestreaming is a strong indicator that Twitch is moving in the right direction.
While only time will determine which streaming platform will dominate in the coming years, it is worth noting that increased competition is generally a positive development for the industry. For instance, when Kick was initially launched, it faced considerable criticism for its lenient content guidelines, which many felt allowed problematic behavior. However, in recent months, several Kick content creators have faced bans, signaling a shift in the platform’s approach and its efforts to tighten enforcement. Similarly, Twitch frequently updates its guidelines or introduces new ones to maintain its competitive edge.
