Twitch renames premium service to be closer to Amazon Prime

On August 10, Twitch announced the rebranding of its premium 'Twitch Prime' service to 'Prime Gaming.' Prime entitled subscribers and those who have an Amazon Prime subscription, to rewards such as free emotes, free subscriptions to channels, and other streaming-based rewards.

Now with Prime Gaming, subscribers can expect even more value from their original purchase. There will be more rewards like in-game exclusive items and upgrades not available to most users. In the announcement, Twitch emphasized that they are looking to build upon their relationships with significant video game publishers such as Riot Games and Rockstar.

The Prime Gaming rebrand is an effort to introduce those who already have Amazon Prime subscriptions to Twitch, in case they are unaware of the benefits they get with the streaming platform. Over 150 million people have Prime subscriptions, so it's no surprise that Twitch is looking to make the most out of their relationship with Amazon.

It's been almost six years since Amazon acquired Twitch for $970 million back in 2014. Since then, Twitch has exploded in popularity and stands as the premiere streaming service – now with almost no competition.

Microsoft's effort, Mixer, had re-launched in 2017 under the same name but failed to carve out a substantial market. Even after signing huge names like Ninja and Shroud, Mixer eventually went defunct in July of 2020.

Now that YouTube stands as the only other substantial streaming platform, Twitch can comfortably experiment in new ways that may have been risky in the presence of another large streaming service. With most, if not all, major streamers firmly on Twitch, it makes sense that they would try to nurture that user base with even more rewards, including a monthly rotation of free PC games and skins for popular titles.

Not much more has changed aside from the name, and it seems that Twitch (and by extension Amazon) can plow ahead unchallenged in an era where streaming is set to become a major platform in entertainment industries.