Tim "TimTheTatman" Betar and Benjamin "DrLupo" Lupo have both confirmed they're abandoning Twitch in favor of YouTube Gaming. While they're far from the only streamers to make the switch recently, they are some of the biggest thus far. They'll join the likes of Valkyrae and Dr Disrespect in helping cement YouTube Gaming as a real competitor to Twitch, but some are wondering why they'd abandon the massive Amazon-owned streaming platform in favor of something that is comparatively much smaller.
On September 1, TimTheTatman confirmed he was moving to YouTube Gaming after signing an exclusive deal. The news was shocking, but in an interview with Business Insider, he explained his rationale. Although not explicitly stated, YouTube likely offered up a hefty sum of money to convince Betar to come join its gaming venture, but he noted he was excited by what the company is doing. "YouTube is - I'd almost use the word hungry," said Betar. "They want their streaming platform to be the best."
YouTube also has a better reputation with its creators, according to Betar. As the company grows and tries to become a real competitor with Twitch, it'll need to prove it can take care of those that the platform lives or dies by. Twitch is being protested by streamers for its failure to deal with harassment such as so-called "hate raids" happening on its platform, resulting in some creators going on a virtual day-long strike from the platform. Whether YouTube will be able to effectively manage these types of issues as it grows remains to be seen. Nonetheless, it's clear YouTube is trying to gain more big talent through exclusive deals.
Why YouTube Gaming Is A Better Fit For Streamers Like TimTheTatman
TimTheTatman also noted in the same Business Insider interview that YouTube streamers tend to stream less than Twitch streamers, something he's interested in as he now has a family. As Betar and other streamers like DrLupo move to YouTube Gaming, they'll be able to not only utilize the people that follow them over from Twitch, but also the exposure that YouTube has to offer. DrLupo has 1.78 million YouTube subscribers and Betar has 3.83 million at the time of writing, and most of this audience was prior to both of them signing a deal with the platform.
YouTube is also very general, people log on and search for gaming videos and end up down a related video rabbit hole. The YouTube algorithm leads people to their new favorite channels, which is something Twitch doesn't do nearly as well. There are featured streams on the front page of the site, but it's not as expansive as the refined system YouTube has built when it comes to searching for new content.
With former Twitch headliners like Dr Disrespect on YouTube Gaming as well, it's clear the company is building something big. Although Twitch competitors like Mixer have crashed and burned, YouTube Gaming is sustained by being on one of the biggest websites in the world and is backed by an equally large tech giant. It's hard to imagine YouTube Gaming crumbling, especially as it secures big talent like TimTheTatman and DrLupo.
Sources: TimTheTatman/Twitter, Business Insider