Twitch launches ‘Watch Parties’ feature

Amazon-owned Twitch is testing a new feature called Watch Parties that allows streamers the ability to stream content from Amazon Prime to their viewers. 

In an email sent to select affiliates and partners, the company said: “Watch Parties brings Prime Video to Twitch. You can watch a selection of Prime Video movies and TV shows on your channel with any of your viewers who have Prime. 

“This is a new way for you to engage with your community around great content that you can stream with your viewers.”

Initially launching in the US with a limited catalogue which includes Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Mission Impossible – Fallout and Pokémon, the move marks the latest attempt from Twitch to define itself as more than just a game streaming platform.

Twitch also serves as the home of Thursday Night Football in a deal with the NFL that was announced in September, along with other kinds of events such as Impact Wrestling. 

The addition of Prime Video streaming is likely informed by the amount of piracy that takes place on the content. This ranges from channels streaming TV shows in non-English languages to one innovate attempt to pass off a pay-per-view UFC event as the sport’s associated video game.

The decision comes during the rise of competitor Caffeine, which despite only being in its beta phase, last year drew in US$100 million of funding from the new-look Fox. The deal also saw Lachlan Murdoch join the board of the company.