How Twitch Became the Undisputed King of Live Streaming in 2025

Launched in 2011 as a spin-off of Justin.tv, Twitch was acquired by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million. In 2025, it still dominates live streaming with over 140 million monthly visitors and 7.5 million concurrent streamers at peak.

Why Twitch Wins

• Emotes, Bits, Channel Points — unmatched community engagement
• 50 % revenue share on subscriptions ($2.50 per Tier 1 sub)
• Twitch Prime (included with Amazon Prime) = free subs every month
• “Just Chatting” is now the #1 category (bigger than any single game)

New Features in 2025

4K streaming, multi-streaming allowance to YouTube/TikTok simultaneously, and “Drops 2.0” that reward viewers with in-game items instantly.

Even with competition from YouTube Gaming and Kick, Twitch’s culture and monetization keep it firmly on the throne.