Twitch: Monetizing and Moderating Livestreaming

When deciding its monetization strategy, who should Twitch be catering its platform to, and how heavy-handed should it be in its content moderation?

Dan J. Wang, Jerry Kim, Ziyad Nassif  | Spring 2023
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Since its founding in 2007 as Justin.tv, Twitch has grown to be a unique and leading livestream platform, and along the way, has evolved in both its content and creators. As Twitch has grown to encompass a wide variety of user-generated content, including channels on music, animals, cooking, gaming and crafts, among others, and both viewership and membership ballooned. With its growth, buoyed by some unexpected tailwinds like the lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Twitch has also begun experiencing the downsides of popularity, including the increasing use of its platform to broadcast untasteful, offensive, or violent footage as well as the crucial question of how best to monetize its current and future library. In this case, students will learn about the global market for livestreaming and the special considerations that digital businesses must take into account as they create a monetization strategy.

Case ID: 230408

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