Twitch Removes Exclusivity Agreement To Allow Partners To Stream On Rival Platforms

Creators that are part of Twitch’s Partner Program can now stream on other platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

The streaming platform notified creators this week that it was lifting its exclusivity agreement that had long been in place and prevented them from going live on competitor platforms.

While creators can use other platforms, they still aren't able to simulcast on web-based experiences, meaning they can't simultaneously stream across YouTube and Facebook. However, Twitch says simulcasting on short-form, mobile experiences like TikTok and Instagram Live is allowed.

Twitch says it initially stopped creators from streaming elsewhere because it thought it was important for them to focus solely on Twitch to build their communities.

With the exclusivity clause lifted, creators now have the freedom and flexibility to leverage other streaming experiences to connect and engage with audiences. Twitch is the go-to platform for most streamers, but going live on other platforms can help introduce creators to new audiences and take advantage of other monetization tools. On the Twitch side, this may prevent them from losing their biggest creators to more flexible deals with competitors.

Twitch’s move represents a shift in creators moving away from solely focusing on one platform. Because platforms can change at any point, from their moderation policies to algorithms, creators building a presence across multiple platforms helps protect them from being at the liberty of any one platform.