Amazon acquires Twitch

[trobinson97]

All I can say is ugh.

Link

YouTube has acquired Twitch, if a new report is accurate. According to Variety the deal is worth $1 billion dollars and will be officially announced imminently, say sources "familiar with the pact". The report also indicates that the Google subsidiary is expecting a battle with U.S. regulators before the purchase can be finalised, due to potential anticompetitive concerns in the online video space.

[Watson]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

Right, they'll "ruin" it just like Facebook "ruined" Instagram and Yahoo! "ruined" Tumblr.


All of the pre-emptive MDWM

[Dog]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

Sweet maybe it'll make streaming a little better now


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mestevo]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

I've lost track, is Google in the same group as Facebook as the 'uncool' companies now?

[Burns11]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

With the way net neutrality is shaping up, being under the Google umbrella might have been the only way it would have ever survived in it's current state.

[LambertandHam]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

As long as the Youtube copyright bots aren't part of the deal.

[fishepa]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

I've lost track, is Google in the same group as Facebook as the 'uncool' companies now?

I think so. I think only Twitter is a cool company now.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

I need to come up with an idea like Twitch, Whatsapp, etc and make myself a billion. *******.

[bigeastbumrush]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

Moar ads!

Woohoo

[bcruise]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

UPDATE: In the wake of Variety's revelations below, the Wall Street Journal has published its own report supporting rumors of Google's talks to acquire Twitch, but claims that the deal is far from complete. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the report states that the discussions are in the early stages and a deal "isn't imminent." We've reached out to Twitch for comment.

So, rumors then. And twitch won't comment on things like this - they never do.

Also, let's not forget that Sony and MS both have deals with Twitch to stream directly to their respective consoles...I doubt they can just make huge, sweeping changes to their policies that could have an impact on those two services.

[Cusefan]

Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

With the way net neutrality is shaping up, being under the Google umbrella might have been the only way it would have ever survived in it's current state.

I have to laugh at companies like TWC and Comcast arguing in favor of interconnection fees for better speeds to some websites. Google is in the process of testing out a fiber network and when they come on the scene, they are going to bury the monstrosity that will be the new Comcast. So if(when) Google goes nationwide, what would stop them from offering better service to anything under the google brand to preferred customers...

[mestevo]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

I have to laugh at companies like TWC and Comcast arguing in favor of interconnection fees for better speeds to some websites. Google is in the process of testing out a fiber network and when they come on the scene, they are going to bury the monstrosity that will be the new Comcast. So if(when) Google goes nationwide, what would stop them from offering better service to anything under the google brand to preferred customers...

Nothing. In the meantime there's billions to be made in the decades it would take for that to happen.

[SoMiss2000]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

You can broadcast for free on both consoles. I don't see the big deal.

[Trevelyan]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

Seemed to me like a lot of the big youtube gaming channels were moving away from youtube and towards twitch, so I bet they're not very happy about this.

[bcruise]

Re: Youtube acquires Twitch for 1 Billion

Amazon has acquired Twitch for 970 Million. And this isn't a rumor.

http://kotaku.com/reports-amazon-to-...ion-1626564744

Thread title kinda needs an edit now.

SEATTLE—August 25, 2014—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Twitch Interactive, Inc., the leading live video platform for gamers. In July, more than 55 million unique visitors viewed more than 15 billion minutes of content on Twitch produced by more than 1 million broadcasters, including individual gamers, pro players, publishers, developers, media outlets, conventions and stadium-filling esports organizations.

"Broadcasting and watching gameplay is a global phenomenon and Twitch has built a platform that brings together tens of millions of people who watch billions of minutes of games each month – from The International, to breaking the world record for Mario, to gaming conferences like E3. And, amazingly, Twitch is only three years old," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "Like Twitch, we obsess over customers and like to think differently, and we look forward to learning from them and helping them move even faster to build new services for the gaming community."

"Amazon and Twitch optimize for our customers first and are both believers in the future of gaming," said Twitch CEO Emmett Shear. "Being part of Amazon will let us do even more for our community. We will be able to create tools and services faster than we could have independently. This change will mean great things for our community, and will let us bring Twitch to even more people around the world."

Twitch launched in June 2011 to focus exclusively on live video for gamers. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been approved by Twitch's shareholders, Amazon will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Twitch for approximately $970 million in cash, as adjusted for the assumption of options and other items. Subject to customary closing conditions, the acquisition is expected to close in the second half of 2014.