Kick might be signing some of Twitch’s top talent, but it certainly isn’t stealing them away for good, as has been made abundantly clear by xQc’s recent non-exclusive deal with the startup.
After a New York Times report unveiled xQc’s move to Kick on June 16, the Juicer has streamed on Twitch almost every single day, taking just one day off from Twitch, which has become the way he starts his streaming day. Spending between 2-4.5 hours on Twitch, xQc then moves to Kick, where his airtime has ranged widely from just under two hours to more than eight in a single broadcast.
For the uninitiated, xQc’s new streaming strategy might seem obscure, but for those that are privy to the industry, it likely makes all the sense in the world. With Twitch being the established behemoth in streaming, xQc has started his streaming day on the platform as a means to maintain his previously established community.
Related: XQc aims to fix Kick’s ‘tarnished’ brand after $100M deal announcement
After spending a couple of hours there, he tells his fans that he’s headed to Kick where he spends the rest of his day streaming on the new platform that doesn’t have nearly the same traffic.
The strategy ultimately reaps benefits for both Kick and xQc. While xQc gets to keep what he has on Twitch, Kick gets the benefit of xQc maximizing his leverage to essentially advertise the newer platform while streaming on Twitch. The hope for both is that the tactic will result in xQc progressively bringing more and more viewers from his Twitch streams to Kick.
Related: Most lucrative streamer deals: Biggest streaming contracts signed by xQc, Amouranth, more
So far, the strategy hasn’t produced a one-to-one ratio in average viewership across both streaming platforms, but there’s evidence that it’s at least helping his Kick channel in some capacity. Since signing his deal, xQc has streamed on Kick 11 times, averaging between 36,000-55,000 viewers according to Streams Charts. His Twitch streams during that time have averaged 53,000-78,000 viewers.
While xQc’s deal with Kick is a highly lucrative one, it’s worth highlighting its non-exclusive nature. For most streamers, their community of viewers is one of the first and most important things they consider any time they mull over making decisions, especially one as big as moving platforms. Had xQc not been granted the flexibility of a non-exclusive contract by Kick, there’s a chance that he may not have agreed to leave Twitch, despite being offered a massive amount of money.
