UPDATE: All three streamers have since uploaded announcement videos confirming that they will be staying with Twitch. The videos are embedded below, and the original story follows.
Popular streaming platform Twitch has signed content creators DrLupo, TimTheTatman, and Lirik to stay on the platform amidst one of the most tumultuous periods of the live web broadcasting industry's history. Earlier this summer, Tyler "Ninja" Blevins shocked the world when he announced he would be departing Twitch for Microsoft's Mixer, a competitor that had previously played a minor role in game streaming when compared to Twitch's stranglehold on the market.
That changed when Ninja arrived, and he was soon followed by Michael "shroud" Grzesiek, making it two of the world's biggest content creators signed away from the Amazon-owned platform in quick succession. The fan-dubbed "Streamer Wars" are still in full-swing, too, as YouTube Gaming recently revealed its intent to become a competitive platform by acquiring Jack "CouRage" Dunlop, one of the most recognizable faces from popular esports team 100 Thieves. Following suit, Facebook Gaming also made a play, grabbing DisguisedToast, a variety streamer with close ties to games like Hearthstone and someone who gives the platform a unique angle to operate from. Through it all, Twitch has remained pretty quiet, which caused many to speculate that many more streamers would be leaving Twitch unless the company responded quickly.
That response has now been heard loud and clear, according to the Twitter esports insider and analyst Rod "Slasher" Breslau, who stated that Twitch had signed each of Ben "DrLupo" Lupo, Timothy "TimTheTatman" Betar, and Saqib "Lirik" Zahid to deals. Although exact figures haven't been revealed, reports suggest that each content creator was signed to multi-million dollar deals. Combined, they make up over 10 million followers on Twitch, while they are also consistent performers when it comes to concurrent views. It's a big get for Twitch, and preserving at least some of its identity in the wake of losing so many personalities is important.
It's also worth noting that all of the newest wave of streamers sticking with Twitch are part of the same representation group, Loaded, that also represents Ninja and shroud. Ultimately, as Twitch continues to bleed personalities - including some of gaming's most unique, like Soleil "Ewok" Wheeler - maintaining some of its biggest stars is becoming a priority, even if it costs millions to do so.
For content creators, the need to offer financially secure contracts on the part of platforms is a huge win. Streamers are gradually discovering just how much they're worth, and as that continues, it seems like those who have paved the way for streaming as an industry will be rewarded with lucrative contracts and stability.
Source: Slasher/Twitter