YouTube Could Acquire Twitch For $1 Billion [Rumor]

If you’re a gamer, chances are you have probably either tuned into Twitch or have streamed yourself playing on it. For those unfamiliar, Twitch is basically a video streaming service in which gamers can upload live streams of themselves playing games. There are those who make their living by live streaming their games, providing commentary, and even teach gamers how to play a game properly.

That being said, an interesting rumor has surfaced which has suggested that YouTube could be interested in acquiring Twitch, and could be looking to pay a whopping $1 billion for the streaming service. The deal is said to be an all-cash offer, meaning that unlike other deals, such as Facebook acquiring Oculus VR, YouTube will not be giving Twitch any stock options. Of course this is just a rumor for now, but apparently the deal is on the cusp of being finalized.

YouTube, for those who didn’t know, is owned by Google, so by acquiring Twitch, it would essentially become a part of Google. The acquisition makes sense as Twitch has become a favorite destination for gamers to go to when they want videos on video games. Not to mention the live streaming component as well as its presence on video game consoles, like the Xbox, makes it more attractive to Google.

However according to a report from Variety, it seems that YouTube anticipates that regulators might not be too thrilled about the idea, since it would essentially mean that there would be less competition on the internet video front. As it stands YouTube is probably the biggest name when it comes to internet videos. While there are alternatives like Vimeo and DailyMotion, they don’t quite stack up to YouTube, meaning that if Twitch falls under the Google banner, that’s one less competition to worry about.

A representative for Twitch has declined to comment on the rumors, while YouTube has yet to comment on it themselves. What do you guys think? Does the idea of YouTube acquiring Twitch sound appealing to you? Or do you think that Google/YouTube should leave Twitch alone?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Rumors, Web
Tags: Google, Twitch, YouTube