When it comes to online streaming services for video gamers, there isn’t much of a choice when it came to selection. Twitch has had the market cornered for quite some time with Facebook and YouTube coming in second and third, however, a new player has entered the game.
Kick, as in the action verb to kick a ball, and not the KIK messenger service with a very similar looking logo, is the latest in streaming platforms for gamers who want to share their skills with those people who enjoy watching video games live. Kick is based in Australia and is backed by the gambling website Stake.com. Twitch is owned by Amazon.
A Conflict of Interest for an Online Gambling Parent Co?
Some cautious gamers are wary and have voiced some concern about a company like Stake.com backing a mobile video game service due to the nature of its ability to create an online gambling forum based on video games. I don’t know personally if this is a bad thing for gaming. It’s a potentially new possibility of revenue for Stake.com, content creators, as well as individuals who love to gamble real world money, and sponsors of video gamers. There are no known plans to allow gambling on video game platform.
One of Kicks main spokespersons, trainwreckstv, was banned from Twitch for gambling during his streams. Perhaps Kick is the avenue individuals like trainwreckstv have been wanting. It’s human nature to gamble and with video games becoming such an intricate part of society, it’s seems logical and not that surprising that betting on video games is going to be a thing eventually.
Does Kick Generate More Revenue for Streamers?
Kick is separating itself from twitch in touting a 5% revenue charge, which is the lowest among streaming services. This could be a temporary “carrot dangle” in order to get streamers to leave twitch for their platform. Twitch’s revenue stream is 30% to the platform in 70% to the creators, similar to YouTube’s split, however that rate is only for some of twitch’s streamers with the required following and streaming hours.
Kick recently signed twitch’s number one male and female streamers xQc and Amouranth to exclusive contracts worth millions of dollars.
Trainwreckstv is rumored to be one of the founding members of kick.com and was the first major streamer to sign with the company. TrainwrecksTV was previously banned from twitch for gambling during his streams so moving to Kick was a logical choice for them. Since then, several other prominent twitch streamers have joined kick.com, the latest XQC, signed a 2 year non-exclusive deal for $50-100 million. Sources are not clear on the exact amount.
Kick is Offering a Wage to New Streamers
Those big numbers are fine and great for those streamers who are established, but what about the “new/little guy”? Well, Kick is offering to pay streamers on an hourly basis, $16 an hour in fact, the first ever offer of its kind. Streamers have to meet certain criteria like being of legal age, having a WebCam on their face during the stream, interacting in chat (so no napping), and streaming at least four hours per day in a 30 day period. Streamers are guaranteed this rate regardless of their following or views. This is definitely going to get a lot of streamers over to the Kick platform, as players gain followers, the $16 dollar an hour amount increases. Streamers are also able to collect donations and subscriptions! CH-CHING!
Kick is also saying that they will have a more relaxed moderation to allow streamers more freedom in the content they produce.
Kick is currently at over 100,000 streams per day.
Kick is slowly gaining steam in other avenues, recently signing Alfa Romeo F1 racing team to a title sponsorship. Kick.com will also replace Stake.com in advertisements in countries where gambling ads are not allowed, further expanding its footprint.
To me video game streaming has always been an oddity. I actually don’t get it to be honest. As a hard-core gamer, I enjoy playing video games, I didn’t like waiting for my turn, I was very impatient, hence I got really good at video games so I wouldn’t have to wait… So to watch somebody playing a game to me isnt much of a source of entertainment. I am, however obviously not the norm. As more streaming platforms are born, there is going to be some sort of new angle to give them the leg up on the established competition and norms. In this case, kick.com is bringing its bag of money to the arcade in order to wipe out the competition. However, by signing non-exclusivity contracts with streamers, those individuals are still able to promote on other streams. Companies like twitch have shot them selves in the foot by not allowing streamers to cross promote on other platforms, perhaps Kicks strategy is going to force change on other platforms in order to keep up.
Will Kick paying streamers generously work? Only time will tell, however, I wouldn’t wait around to get in on the money that is being offered. It’s not likely sustainable for kick to continue to pay the 95% revenue stream to its performers, nor is it likely that they will continue be able to pay an hourly wage for those streamers that are taking advantage of the wild west as it is. I recommend downloading the app and getting in the game before it’s too late!
