Amazon buys Twitch in $970 million deal
In a move that took the video game industry completely by surprise, Amazon has announced that it has purchased Twitch in a $970 million cash deal. Reports earlier in the year suggested that Google were set to buy the video game streaming site through their YouTube brand in a similar $1 billion deal. The deal should be confirmed later in the year according to the retail giant. The move follows Amazon’s foray into areas other than retail. They have been working to compete with streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu for some time, launching their own service known as Amazon Instant Video. The acquisition of Twitch gives Amazon access to a hugely dedicated set of viewers in the gamer demographic. The company previously did not cater for this audience. Analysts stating that they believe it will allow them to compete with the likes of YouTube, as Twitch is the biggest game streaming site on the web. In a statement released to the BBC, Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos said: “Broadcasting
