Pokimane has become the next domino to fall in the war between streaming platforms, agreeing to a multi-year deal to stay on Twitch today.
The news comes just a few short months after a slew of influencers, like TimTheTatman, Lirik, and Dr Lupo, announced that they’re staying with the platform over the holidays.
Pokimane’s contract was negotiated by United Talent Agency and financial terms of the deal weren’t released.
Pokimane isn’t the first person to make an exclusive deal, but she hasn’t been quiet about the topic or idle as platforms court top content creators. During a discussion with her viewers on stream in January, she praised Ninja, who paved the way for streamers to cash out with these sorts of contracts when he made his move from Twitch to Mixer.
“God bless Ninja for making that move because now all platforms have to put a dollar amount on streamers,” Pokimane said. “So literally, people are paying me and all my friends to do what we were going to flippin’ do for the next two, three years of our lives anyways. So that’s how I feel about it. I just feel like we’re all so freaking lucky.”
At the time, she admitted that she was “in a position to make a move.” But she chose her words carefull,y adding that her viewers would “know what I’m up to soon enough.”
Known primarily for her viewership in the Just Chatting category, Pokimane is one of the most popular and veteran female content creators on Twitch, having used the platform since 2013.
“Over the years, Pokimane has made significant contributions to the Twitch community and has become emblematic of the connection and experiences that Twitch is known for,” said Michael Aragon, Twitch senior VP of content and partnerships. “Creators like Pokimane are driving the future of what’s possible with live streaming and speak to the way in which the Twitch platform has grown to reach new audiences. We couldn’t be more excited that Twitch will be her home for years to come.”
Pokimane has 3.9 million followers on Twitch, up from the 2.6 million that she ended 2019 with, according to Stream Hatchet data, making her one of the top 10 most-followed streamers on the platform.
Meanwhile, she’s on pace to outperform her viewership from last year with a strong start to 2020. Her average viewership of 12,283 in the first few months of the year is up from 10,023 concurrent viewers. Additionally, her 2.27 million hours watched from Jan. 1 to March 5 puts her on pace to best her 9.8 million hours watched in 2019.
