It seems that Twitch is constantly making deals left and right; after recently acquiring exclusive broadcast rights for the Overwatch League, it has been revealed that the company has brokered a deal with Disney, securing exclusive content from some of the top YouTubers today.

The deal, which includes YouTubers Markiplier, Jacksepticeye, Strawburry17, and LuzuGamers, means each of the aforementioned will "livestream and create video on-demand content for Twitch, as part of a multi-year partnership.” Each of these YouTubers, who combined have a subscription base exceeding 44 million followers, are part of the Disney Digital Network, which was formerly known as Maker Studios.

While Twitch does have an audience base bigger than HBO or Netflix, this does not suggest any of the above will be leaving YouTube. If anything, this move allows streamers like Markiplier to provide more content for their fanbase. To that effect, the new Video Producer creation tools on Twitch will give the aforementioned “more options, more control, and more opportunities to find viewers, grow an audience, and make a living doing what they love.”

twitch-introduces-video-upload-service

The new tools are unlikely to replace Twitch’s primary streaming service, but instead, it will further support the new YouTubers and current streamers by allowing what it calls “produced content” – videos pre-recorded, repurposed, and/or promoted from livestreams. The company is also introducing “Premieres,” “Past Premieres,” and “Reruns.” The first feature will allow streamers to schedule events and make countdowns for said events, making it easier for audiences to catch new content. “Past Premieres” will provide access to former “Premieres,” whereas “Reruns” will allow rebroadcasts of older videos.

In the end, it seems this deal will be very beneficial for Twitch and the four YouTubers involved. All involved seem to benefit financially, while the YouTubers receive the benefit of Twitch’s support. If the deal does prove to be as beneficial as it appears, perhaps more YouTubers from Disney Digital Network will come to Twitch, but that remains to be seen.

Source: Eurogamer