SEATTLE – As of August 25, 2014, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) publicly announced that it gained agreement to acquire Twitch Interactive, Inc., the popular live video platform for gamers. It was recorded that more than 55 million unique visitors viewed in excess of 15 billion minutes of content on Twitch in July 2014, produced by over a million broadcasters, such as individual gamers, professional players, publishers, developers, media, conventions and large esports organizations.
“The phenomenon of broadcasting and watching gameplay is worldwide and Twitch has constructed a platform that congregates tens of millions who watch countless hours of games every month – from The International, to breaking the world record for Mario, to E3 gaming conferences. And, surprisingly, Twitch is just three years old,” shared Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “We share Twitch’s obsession over customers and thinking differently, and we eagerly await learning from them and aiding them in moving even more swiftly to concoct new services for the gaming community.”
Twitch’s CEO, Emmett Shear, said, “Between Amazon and Twitch, there is a mutual prioritization of our customers, and we both envision the significant future of gaming. Being incorporated under Amazon will empower us to do far more for our community. We can develop tools and services faster than as standalone. We foresee this change bringing about great things for our community, and it will let us expand Twitch’s reach globally.”
Twitch started targeting exclusively live video for gamers in June 2011. According to the terms of the agreement, approved by Twitch’s shareholders, Amazon obtained all of Twitch’s outstanding shares for an approximate amount of $970 million in cash. The acquisition, cleared of custom closing conditions, was slated to conclude in the latter half of 2014.
Amazon.com is a multinational company that initially launched on the internet in July 1995. Guided by principles that champion customer obsession, invention passion, and long-term vision, Amazon has pioneered various products and services such as customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, tailored recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV.
The Twitch platform is a premier destination for gamers, boasting a community of over 55 million members engaged in broadcasting, watching, and discussing video games. It forms the backbone of live and on-demand distribution for the whole video game ecosystem, including game developers, publishers, media, events, user-generated content, and esports. Twitch was ranked as the 4th largest website in terms of peak internet traffic in the U.S. by The Wall Street Journal in February 2014, establishing its position as an industry leader in entertainment and central venue for social video for gamers.
Some forward-looking statements are encapsulated within this announcement according to Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual outcomes may greatly deviate from management’s expectations. Embedded within these forward-looking statements are numerous risks and uncertainties that could affect Amazon.com’s financial results, detailed in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
This article was updated in 2025 to reflect current trends and insights.
Paul Balo is the founder of TechBooky and a highly skilled wireless communications professional with a strong background in cloud computing, offering extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing wireless communication systems.
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