The controversial streaming platform Kick has just snatched two of the biggest English-speaking streamers from Twitch: the Canadian Félix “xQc” Lengyel and the American Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa. They have also made an offer to one of the largest German streamers, Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris, but he has to behave.
Why is he talking about a switch? The streaming platform Kick, announced in December as an alternative to the supposedly unrealistic Twitch, has been attracting numerous streamers for months.
Many criticize the proximity to the controversial online casino Stake and thus to gambling, but admit that a bit of competition could do Twitch good. Streamers would benefit in the long run.
Twitch, on the other hand, has become unpopular with changes to the sub-split and advertisement guidelines. MontanaBlack is already dissatisfied with his streaming home, since they threatened to ban him from the platform. So he is ready to switch and is making no secret of it, but until now there simply hasn’t been a real alternative for him.
Currently, Kick is also not an option for the 35-year-old, and there is a reason for that: He does not want to jeopardize his good reputation that he has worked so hard to earn.
MontanaBlack does not want to be the ‘scapegoat’
What does MontanaBlack think of Kick? The streamer revealed in May that he received an offer from Kick for a ‘double-digit million amount’. However, he also stated that it would have to be at least double that to throw away his ‘good standing’.
Moreover, the deal would have to include enough to give something back to his business partners. Although he has not accepted the offer, MontanaBlack thinks the platform is good. In a stream, he recently talked again about why he still cannot switch.
What is the problem with Kick? As MontanaBlack says, he has remained ‘clean’ in the last two – well, one and a half – years. He has had no headaches, no major shitstorms. With that, he has built a ‘brand-safeness’ that would be gone if he made the switch.
If he were to switch, the 35-year-old said, it would be said everywhere that ‘Uncle Monte’ is going to a casino platform:
I don’t want to be the scapegoat and get talked down to again by all of these […], that I’m switching to a platform that is supported and built by casino money. Then I’m the idiot again.
You can find the entire video here. In it, MontanaBlack also talks about hypocrisy in society and why smaller streamers sometimes prefer to say what people allegedly want to hear. From around 5:50, it’s about Kick.
No switch at any price
What could motivate him to switch? Additionally, MontanaBlack says he is working on some larger projects, partly for already 2 years. These projects are supposed to come this year, but he would need the support of other people and companies.
If he were to switch to Kick, he would risk that none of these projects would materialize. The streamer subtly points out several times that the platform would have to significantly increase its offer to compensate for the damage to his image and any loss of advertising partners.
However, MontanaBlack does not explicitly rule out at some point switching to a platform like Kick. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be called Kick, because with Rumble, there is another live streaming provider that wants a piece of the Twitch cake.
In addition, rumors persist that the online TV station Joyn, which already collaborated with MontanaBlack and other big German streamers, could launch its own streaming platform. It remains to be seen how the German streaming landscape will develop.
What motivates streamers to switch at all? There are indeed several reasons for a switch to Kick. Not all of them have to do with gambling, even if some casino streamers have fled there after Twitch’s new guidelines have harmed them significantly.
- Since the platform is still quite new, small content creators see the chance to get in early and gain an advantage.
- Others simply want to cash in before the platform inevitably fails and then go back to Twitch.
- Others clash with their controversial content, do not get lucrative exclusive contracts, and have to deal with bans.
Additionally, Kick attracts with a sub-split of 95/5 and a slightly looser interpretation of the rules. However, not everything is allowed, as xQc experienced when he started streaming entire movies on the platform immediately after his switch.
