It's been a few months now that the internet world has welcomed a new player into its sphere. The name Kick is everywhere on the networks, especially since May. While many describe this new space as a simple competitor to Twitch, specializing in live streaming, the Kick file is actually more extensive than it seems. What do you think of this platform already in trouble?
More money, more customers
Although a modern saying wants that a bad buzz remains a buzz good to take, Kick would surely have done without of this early reputation as a platform with problems... or not. On paper, Kick is a live video streaming service that hopes to establish itself with the public after Twitch has almost completely dominated the market for several years now. Unlike its Amazon-owned counterpart, Kick does not have a pandemic or lockdown to get its teeth into to attract its audience.
It does have a strong argument, however. At a time when the activity videographer, and especially streamer, brings in big money, the platform intends to shake up the codes of monetization by letting content creators control their income more. If Twitch currently takes a commission on donations and subscriptions ranging from 30% to 50%, Kick only deducts 5% for its own remuneration, leaving 95% of the sum to the influencer, and this for all participants, even outside the partner program.
A promise that is enough to make even the giants already well established dream. Like making a transfer in the world of football, streamers are paid a fortune. This is the case of xQc who has just changed platforms for a sum that is between 70 and 100 million dollars upon signing. A contract that does not even force the videographer to exclusivity. But then, where is the trap?
Two sides of the same coin
The prospect of higher remuneration is necessarily an undeniable advantage compared to Twitch. But what also attracts viewers is the more permissive censorship policy of the platform towards its competitor who is tightening the screws over time. Bodies that are a little too naked, insults galore, and discriminatory, sexist, and racist remarks: this is what awaits viewers when watching a few streams on Kick.
In reality, this “freedom of expression” that has almost no rules left is above all a pretext for excesses and attacks on the safety of others. Many people denounce the fact that Kick takes on all the streamers deemed “problematic” by Twitch, including Amaru, who had been accused of sexual assault and harassment a few months ago.
Good or bad influence, Kick is in any case a phenomenon that is growing. The network seems to meet a certain consumer need while bringing together some of the worst features of the Internet. Without dwelling on the harm to people from minorities, the question of the safety of minors and the control of what they watch is also at stake. It remains to be seen how this evolves as the service grows.
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