Eddie Craven Discusses Kick Viewer Rewards

Khizar Mundia Published 13/10/2026

Kick has established itself as one of the leading livestreaming platforms, and co-founder Eddie Craven has revealed why they don’t pay viewers, whilst also discussing viewer rewards for watching streams.

Adin Ross had publicly claimed that the platform may start rewarding its viewers with cash incentives for watching livestreams. This seemed to be a good way to attract viewers at the time, but Eddie Craven has revealed why this could be a bad idea. The Kick co-founder has also discussed other rewards for viewers, as well as stating that the platform recognizes its audience.

Eddie Craven says viewbotting prevents Kick from paying viewers

In a recent stream, Eddie Craven was asked when Kick would start paying viewers, and the co-founder instantly said “never”. He quickly elaborated that the livestreaming industry is already plagued with viewbotting, and if Kick started to pay viewers, the issue would increase “500 times”.

Image credit: Kick

The Kick boss also talked about how paying viewers would be the best way for the platform to grow, as it could lead to an influx of viewers because of the cash incentive. He even went on to say that redistributing KPP to viewers could make the platform grow faster. However, Craven said the growth would be inauthentic and also conflict with the integrity of Kick.

Eddie Craven then gave an example of DLive, which started a similar viewer reward program. He claimed that it had “one of the most negative effects on the community”. Despite this, Eddie Craven stated that Kick gives back to viewers and tried to be the “most viewer-centric platform”. He said thousands of KICKs are given to people “every Wednesday,” saying Kick gives nods to its viewers.

☑️ My Take: Craven may be right not to start a pay-to-watch model

Eddie Craven mentioned Emotes, which are being given as a reward of sorts to viewers, and then talked about the key incentive, KICKs. The co-founder said that a large number of KICKs are given to viewers every week, and stated that the platform recognizes its viewers. His explanation of why it isn’t a wise choice to pay viewers is sound, as bots are already rampant. If bad actors could be paid for watching streams, there is a high probability that bots would increase further.

The Australian’s example of DLive was appropriate, as the platform had also introduced certain viewer rewards, which were substantially abused. Kick is already criticized for being plagued with bots, even though this is true for all livestreaming platforms, but it could become an even bigger issue if viewers start getting paid. KICKs are Kick’s in-platform currency, and they may not be as lucrative as cash rewards, but it’s too risky to try the alternative to increase viewers.

Feature image credit: Kick

Khizar Mundia

About Khizar Mundia

Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.

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