Even prior to the onset of the pandemic, streaming services already accounted for a large share of content consumption, but over the last year, the demand for various platforms has surged to new heights.
However, while audiences watched theatrical releases via streaming services like Amazon Prime and HBO Max or attended live concerts like Verzuz — recently acquired by Triller — on Apple Music and Instagram, they didn't just consume. They ran to platforms like Twitch to create their own content.
Doug Scott, chief marketing officer at Twitch, said that the platform has grown rapidly, and its users have found a home because it provides a sense of community, allowing creators to authentically connect.
“When people come to Twitch, you might initially come for that content but when you get that Go Live notification from a streamer you love, your instinct is not to come in and just see what’s streaming. It’s to come in and just say hi," Scott told Cheddar about why users stick around.
As users continue to broadcast themselves and essentially become their own media companies, Scott said Twitch’s priority is always to remain “focused on creators” and establish spaces where their creativity can shine.
“People come to Twitch because there’s an incredible wealth of content there," he said. "There’s obviously gaming content, which we’re well known for. There’s also sports, music, just about anything people are passionate about."
Electronic Arts, the video game maker of “Madden NFL,” “The Sims,” and other popular titles, is being acquired and taken private for about $52.5 billion in what could become the largest-ever buyout funded by private-equity firms.
Merriam-Webster has fully revised its popular “Collegiate” dictionary with over 5,000 new words. They include “petrichor,” “dumbphone” and “ghost kitchen.” Also “cold brew,” “rizz,” “dad bod,” “hard pass,” “cancel culture” and more.
YouTube will offer creators a way to rejoin the streaming platform if they were banned for violating COVID-19 and election misinformation policies that are no longer in effect.
Lukas Alpert of MarketWatch explores how networks, brands, and ad buyers absorb the shockwaves when late‑night show hosts are suddenly cut — and brought back.