Twitch announces Stream On game show plan

Amazon-owned live video streaming giant Twitch has announced it is turning its attention to the world of reality TV, launching its own show - broadcast exclusively via Twitch, naturally - which will see streamers 'face challenges designed to test important streamer skills'.

Part of Twitch's efforts to expand its market beyond video game streams, the core competency which catapulted the company to success and a lucrative acquisition by Amazon, Stream On is described as a game show through which the site's users can 'elevate visibility' and 'turn their passion for live-streaming into a career'. Not all need apply, however: Stream On will be taking its competitors from the pool of 25,000 Twitch Partners, picking 'the most entertaining, personable, competitive-minded Partnered streamers who have yet to become a household name on Twitch'.

If chosen to participate, streamers will face a series of challenges 'designed to test important streamer skills' before a panel of Twitch-employed judges. Those viewing the show will also be given the opportunity, in true reality TV fashion, of influencing who is kicked out and who stays on to additional rounds of what the company describes as a 'friendly competition'.

While all those participating in the event will receive the promised visibility boost and, in theory, a hike in their viewer numbers, the grand prize winner will get something more concrete: a $60,000 cash prize, paid out as $5,000 per month and earmarked to 'help take their streaming career to the next level'.

Produced by Twitch Studios, the company's in-house production outfit, Stream On is to launch in March 2018 with more information available on the Twitch blog.