More big-name streamers may be leaving Twitch soon.
Earlier this week, Benjamin “DrLupo” Lupo and Timothy “TimTheTatman” Betar
announced that they were leaving Twitch
to stream exclusively on YouTube Gaming. They will be joining streaming stars Valkyrae, CouRage, and Dr Disrespect on Twitch’s biggest rival platform.
And now it looks like Nick “NICKMERCS” Kolcheff may not be far behind.
During a recent stream, NICKMERCS told fans that he had just scored “the biggest deal of [his] life.” With his two-year Twitch partnership ending this year, it’s possible that the new deal is a move to YouTube Gaming. But for now, NICKMERCS couldn’t tell his followers too much.
“This is like, the kind of deal that’s not about you anymore. It’s about your family, your friends. All that shit, you know? So we’re making moves. Huge, huge moves,” NICKMERCS said.
NICKMERCS has a long history with Twitch. He joined in 2010 back when Twitch was known as Justin TV. He signed an exclusive deal with the platform two years ago. He has praised Twitch in the past as well, seeming quite proud of his long career on the streaming platform. He currently has 6.2 million followers and almost 70,000 subscribers.
Despite the praise, it seems that NICKMERCS is willing to leave for the right deal.
“It’s a big one… A big contract. It’s good, great things. You guys are gonna love it. I can’t go over details yet, but soon, trust me,” NICKMERCS said. “It’s been a big year, and next year is going to be even bigger.”
NICKMERCS told fans that he’s flying to Last Vegas to pop bottles and celebrate as soon as soon as the “huge f—— deal” is official.
The recent influx of big-time streamers at YouTube Gaming could put Twitch in an interesting position. Since the closure of Mixer, Twitch has not had to show much concern for dealing with competition. These latest moves could change that dynamic moving forward.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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