Update: Twitch CEO Emmett Shear has just confirmed the acquisition by Amazon in a heartfelt letter to fans.
It wasn't that long ago — one month and a day, to be exact — when we shared some whispers regarding how Google was planning on buying Twitch. It more or less seemed like a done deal, but now a new challenger has entered the ring. According to anonymous sources, as reported by The Information and the Wall Street Journal, online retailer Amazon is close to picking up the streaming video site for more than $1 billion.
You may recall that in the weeks following the Google buyout rumors, Twitch began implementing a series of changes, such as Content ID checks similar to what YouTube uses and the deletion of archives after a period of at least two weeks. Many streamers were not pleased with the new features; some even wondered if these changes were done at the behest of Google. There's no way of knowing for certain, but the timelines would synch up perfectly if that were the reason. There's also no way of knowing if those changes will remain should Amazon take command.
In any case, further information regarding Amazon's plan should appear shortly. No one at Twitch or Amazon has commented on the matter just yet.
