Twitch buys social networking platform Bebo, beefs up Twitch Rivals

William Davis Published 20/06/2019

Bebo, an early competitor in the social networking market, has been acquired by streaming giant Twitch.

Twitch purchased Bebo for $25 million after beating out other notable bidders including Discord and Facebook, according to a report from TechCrunch. The report further states that Bebo will be assisting in the development of Twitch’s esports business with an emphasis on Twitch Rivals following the procurement by the Amazon subsidiary.

Bebo may sound familiar to some, and it’s for good reason. The website was once an early titan in social networking, acting as a competitor to MySpace and Facebook. The company was founded in 2005 by husband and wife team Micheal and Xochi Birch and quickly became a social networking frontrunner in the United Kingdom.

Bebo’s popularity would eventually draw the attention of web portal service provider AOL, who purchased the website for a whopping $850 million in 2008. However, AOL would never profit from its investment. Bebo would lag behind the growing social media landscape and soon faded away from the public’s consciousness. AOL’s then-CEO was fired as a result of the poor deal, and Bebo was sold to UK-based property company Criterion Capital for just $25 million.

Bebo never regained its former reputation and ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013. The company was then purchased by its original founders, Michel and Xochi Birch, for $1 million as the pair promised to revive the business.

“We just bought Bebo back for $1m. Can we actually re-invent it? Who knows, but it will be fun trying,” Michael Birch said.

Bebo has been exploring different avenues of business since the Birch family reclaimed control. One of the final projects the company delved into before they were purchased by Twitch was offering a Twitch streaming service similar to Open Broadcast Software.

This service was eventually discontinued in 2018 and the focus was shifted to creating a platform for streaming tournaments before it was purchased by Twitch.

Bebo’s attention will now be concentrated on further fleshing out Twitch Rivals following the acquisition.

Read Also

Twitch

As Streamer University 2026 Ends, Here’s How Streamers Performed Khizar Mundia Kai Cenat returned from a hiatus to host Streamer University 2026, and his decision proved to be correct, with newly-released metrics showing that the event generated millions of views and hours watched on both Twitch and YouTube. There was significant anticipation for Streamer University 2026, and not just because the previous year’s event was a success. The bigger reason for many fans was that Kai Cenat would return from a ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed Reportedly Buys $11 Million Warehouse Following Huge 2026 World Cup Tour Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. is showing no signs of slowing down after his massively successful FIFA World Cup 2026 tour. The YouTuber has almost 60 million subscribers, and has now reached another milestone by reportedly purchasing a $11 million warehouse for his content creation needs. The IRL YouTuber’s coverage this summer took his global appeal to a new level, and he set major milestones during the World Cup. FIFA made ...

Twitch

Ludwig’s Streamer Games 2026: Dates, Format, Roster and Drama Khizar Mundia Ludwig Ahgren recently appeared in Kai Cenat’s Streamer University 2026 as a professor and he has now announced the Streamer Games 2026. Here’s everything about the event, ranging from the streamers on the roster to drama surrounding the CORE boys. 2026 has been a seemingly good year for Ludwig, as he got engaged to his partner Blaire “QTCinderella” and also became the most beloved professor in Streamer University 2026. However, ...

Kick

A History of Kick Streaming — How the Platform Became Big Khizar Mundia Since its launch in 2022, Kick has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become one of the internet's leading livestreaming platforms. Owing to its generous creator terms, deals with big-name streamers and willingness to challenge Twitch's dominance, it has now become one of the industry's biggest players. Even five years ago, Twitch and YouTube were at the forefront of the streaming industry, and creators picked either platform when they wanted to ...

Twitch

Here’s How Twitch’s New Parental Controls Work Khizar Mundia There is growing discussion about the safety of younger users on livestreaming and social media platforms, with some countries even restricting usage for minors. Twitch has just announced that it has launched optional parental controls, allowing parents to limit their children’s activity on the platform. A move towards parental controls is not a surprise given the global push in recent months towards tighter regulation around social media platforms and age ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Tour in Numbers Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr.’s FIFA World Cup 2026 tour was the largest and most ambitious in his IRL streaming career — the YouTuber met his idols, broke records, and even performed his song at the tournament’s final closing ceremony. Speed is known for his energetic and engaging IRL streams where he interacts with fans, creates wholesome moments, and shows viewers wherever he is in the world. The YouTuber’s FIFA World ...

Slots

Hacksaw Gaming’s Dead By Noon slot has a 10,000x max win — here’s how to land it! Ian John Hacksaw Gaming has returned to one of its most popular themes for its latest slot release — the Wild West. This new game Dead By Noon follows in the footsteps of other Hacksaw classics including Wanted Dead or a Wild, Le Cowboy and Duel at Dawn. The new game is a high volatility slot that offers 14 fixed paylines and a chance to win a whopping 10,000x your stake. It ...