Valve, the incredibly popular gaming company, is turning up the heat in the streaming market with the launch of their own streaming platform, Steam.tv. After nearly a decade of developing the service, Steam.tv has arrived and is bringing with it some very enticing offers for streamers. Taking a 15% cut, as opposed to the 50% that Twitch.tv takes, makes Steam.tv extremely competitive.
While Twitch.tv still dominates, their marketing team seems to be shaken up by Valve’s announcements. Not only are the cuts significantly lower, but all streamers – regardless of their status on the platform – get the same perks and quality of life services Steam.tv has to offer. This differs significantly Twitch.tv, which unlocks tiers based on a streamer’s status; ranging from base streamers all the way to Twitch Partners. The difference in tiers can result in a lack of video storage, the inability to set stream delays or special effects, and a difference in the amount of money streamers can earn. Promoting ‘equality for all‘ appears to be a direct attack on Twitch.tv, and has already created a positive reaction from current streamers.
Unlike previous streaming platforms, such as Mixer, a plethora of streamers are already making the move to Steam.tv. Famous streamers like Dr. Disrespect, Pokemane, Sweet Anita, and TrumpSC have committed to the new platform, and are bringing all their fans with them. Large numbers of streamers are making the switch to Steam.tv, and it’s easy to see why. The reception is far larger than Mixer ever received, particularly as Mixer only obtained large streamers via contracts and exclusivity rights. Steam.tv has done no such thing, and is offering equality and increased monetisation rates to tempt the big move. While strange to think about at first, the marketing strategy makes sense. Valve wants their platform to be around for the foreseeable future, so they can’t afford streamers to leave as soon as their contract is finished.
The streamer platform ecosystem is dependant, Twitch.tv relies on a steady flow of streamer content while streamers are left at the mercy of the platform’s monetisation and moderation system. So, what happens when these streamers have other options?
Is 2030 the year Twitch.tv falls from grace? We’ll just have to wait and see how things play out.
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