Back in May of 2014 Youtube/Google and TwitchTV struck a deal for a $1 billion purchase of TwichTV which led to the subsequent integration that now exists between Youtube and TwitchTV. Here we are three months later reporting on Amazon inquiring TwitchTV. Definitely one of those things that makes you go hmmm isn’t it?
The announcement was made official by TwitchTV CEO Emmett Shear last night. In an email that went out to all members of TwitchTV, Emmett Shear explains what changes would be happening due to this new acquisition. For the most part nothing is really going to change, at least from the user end of things. This is great considering the recent update to the TwitchTV application on Android that features a whole new UI which looks and works quite well. Add in the fact that the Nvidia Shield Tablet is the first Android device to come with built-in TwitchTV streaming, it would be kind of detrimental to change anything right now.
The major change that seems to be hinted at in this email is more regarding the backbone of the TwitchTV service, mentioning with Amazon’s support that TwitchTV will have better resources. You can read the full email from Emmett Shear below.
Dear Twitch Community
It’s almost unbelievable that slightly more than 3 years ago, Twitch didn’t exist. The moment we launched, we knew we had stumbled across something special. But what followed surprised us as much as anyone else, and the impact it’s had on both the community and us has been truly profound.
Your talent, your passion, your dedication to gaming, your memes, your brilliance – these have made Twitch what it is today. Every day, we strive to live up to the standard set by you, the community. We want to create the very best place to share your gaming and life online, and that mission continues to guide us.
Together with you, we’ve found new ways of connecting developers and publishers with their fans. We’ve created a whole new kind of career that lets people make a living sharing their love of games. We’ve brought billions of hours of entertainment, laughter, joy and the occasional ragequit. I think we can all call that a pretty good start.
I’m pleased to announce we’ve been acquired by Amazon. We chose Amazon because they believe in our community, they share our values and long-term vision, and they want to help us get there faster. We’re keeping most everything the same: our office, our employees, our brand, and most importantly our independence. But with Amazon’s support we’ll have the resources to bring you an even better Twitch.
I personally want to thank you, each and every member of the Twitch community, for what you’ve created. Thank you for putting your faith in us. Thank you for sticking with us through growing pains and stumbles. Thank you for bringing your very best to us and sharing it with the world. Thank you, from a group of gamers who never dreamed they’d get to help shape the face of the industry that we love so much.
It’s dangerous to go alone. On behalf of myself and everyone else at Twitch, thank you for coming with us.
Emmett Shear, CEO
