Kick here, Kick there. Most probably, this name is the one you are hearing the most during these last days, but what is Kick? Why is everybody talking about it at streamers’ level and commenting that they are going to leave Twitch?
We are going to explain you what this new streaming platform that is standing out during these days is all about.
What is Kick?
Behind Kick hides a streaming platform, just like Twitch (in fact, the design is practically identical). In other words, the basic concept is to be able to broadcast whatever we want in terms of video games, podcasting, etc. However, the platform has more lax rules in terms of content.
During these weeks, many streamers are broadcasting some content that would be prohibited on Twitch (rights-protected broadcasts) or viewed with suspicion (as in the case of gambling). Logically, the former will not last long (until companies come in to defend their intellectual property), although the latter will remain for a reason that we will explain later. In short: for the moment it is an unexplored field (and the content creator takes advantage of it).
What makes Kick stand out?
It would be absurd to deny this: streamers are leaving Twitch for Kick for the money. The difference in revenue compared to Twitch is abysmal. If on Amazon’s platform content creators receive a 50-50 split (i.e. 50% for them, 50% for the platform), with Kick this percentage rises to 95% for the streamer, 5% for Kick. And to top it off, content creators don’t have to wait a month to get paid, they can get paid the same day with no hassle.
If so many streamers are leaving Twitch it is for this reason. Add to this the fact that the biggest streamers have also seen their 70-30 contracts on Twitch dwindle, so the new platform is being smart about capturing content.
At the moment, they are taking well-known faces in the industry, such as MrBeast or Hikaru. They are investing a lot of money to attract the most relevant figures in streaming and, with it, their communities.
Twitch has already lowered commissions to streamers, increased the number of ads on the platform and said that the Prime subscription system was unsustainable (and therefore reduced its value). The question, therefore, is how long Kick is going to last maintaining a percentage that can be seen from a distance that can’t be sustained much over time.
Who is behind Kick?
Remember we told you earlier that gambling is even more allowed than on Twitch? Well, this happens for a reason: behind the project is Stake, a crypto gambling site. Here’s why.
According to the information revealed, Kick is the union of the founders of Easygo with the people of Stake. They have not wanted to confirm officially, but the business data has come to light (as it is logical) and they have commented on this detail.
To date, Kick is more future than present. We have seen before that platforms like Facebook or Mixer have been an absolute failure, despite investing tens and tens of millions of dollars to compete with Twitch. And it didn’t work out well.
