As announced on both Twitter and its official blog on Monday, August 25, streaming service Twitch.TV has been purchased by online retailer Amazon, finally putting an end to the rumor that came about a few months ago regarding Google buying Twitch.
“ We’re pleased to announce that we’ve been acquired by [Amazon], ” declared Twitch’s official Twitter account.
In a press release that was published on the same day via its official blog, the CEO of Twitch explained why the streaming service chose to be bought by Amazon.
“ Today, 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, ” CEO Emmett Shear wrote. “ 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. ”
A few months ago it was believed that the YouTube section of Google would be buying Twitch, and the streaming services initially rejected other proposals of purchase from other companies like Microsoft, but was allegedly willing to accept a partnership with YouTube.
According to sources close to the matter, Twitch and Microsoft apparently agreed on a price and were working out details, such as Twitch’s independence as a company and a brand.
At the time, Twitch claimed to have evaluated possible bids with Google, and allegedly decided that YouTube will be the best fit to help the company grow. Twitch was once said to believe that Google can help it become what it wants to be: the definitive platform for watching and streaming live gaming experiences.
We’ll bring you more news on Twitch.TV should further information reach our ears.
[ Twitter / Twitch.Blog ]