New streaming domain Kick made the headlines yesterday after the announcement that chess’ grandmaster and celebrity Hikaru is joining the platform on a non-exclusivity deal, meaning that he can also continue streaming on Twitch if he wants.
Shortly after the announcement, xQc, one of Twitch’s biggest stars, said during his live stream that Kicker is doing “the right thing” unlike Mixer did when it tried to poach every big name from the Amazon-owned platform years ago.
“People think that it’s bad that these guys are signing dual contracts, guys, I said this years ago that this is the right way to do it,” xQc said about Hikaru’s non-exclusivity deal with Kick. “I said this even when Mixer was a thing. One, it’s cheaper, and two, it creates an actual transfer. It creates an actual transfer that is gradual.”
Related: The main differences between Twitch’s and Kick’s guidelines
Mixer signed two of Twitch’s biggest stars in 2019—Ninja and shroud—on exclusivity deals but had trouble getting all of the viewers that followed them on Twitch. Ninja’s viewership, for example, fell 33 percent after he left Twitch to stream on Mixer. What xQc alluded to during his stream is that Kick is allowing the transfer to be smooth, unlike Mixer, which ended up shutting its doors in 2020 and partnering with Facebook Gaming and losing stars like shroud and Ninja.
It’s not only Mixer who pushed for exclusivity deals. This practice has become a standard across multiple platforms, including Twitch and YouTube Gaming, currently the biggest gaming streaming platforms.
It’s unclear if Kick will last enough to start turning a profit and retaining the content creators it has signed. Hikaru is the latest streaming star to join the platform following Trainwreck, who is also an advisor, and Adin Ross. Five more personalities will sign with Kick in the coming days, according to Train, and people are already rumoring Amouranth might be in the mix.
