Pokimane reveals why re-signing with Twitch was a “difficult” decision

Just a few months after re-signing with Twitch as a platform-exclusive streamer, Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys has revealed why the decision to stay with the Amazon-owned service was a “difficult one.”

While appearing on the Misfits podcast, Pokimane spoke about her life as a Twitch streamer, interactions with fans and her life in general, when before long, naturally, the conversation surrounding her Twitch contract popped up.

After the likes of Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins and Jack ‘CouRage’ Dunlop signed exclusive deals with Mixer and YouTube respectively, it came time for Twitch to step up and try to retain some of their biggest names, and Pokimane was one of them.

The Ninja deal with Mixer clearly set off a race between the platforms, and in deals reportedly worth millions, Pokimane became one of the names to stick with Twitch.

While many would think it would be easy an easy decision to stay with the only platform she has ever streamed on, Anys suggests it was not quite as straightforward as many would think.

After agreeing that staying with Twitch was a difficult choice, much to the surprise to some of her peers, Pokimane said: “These platform deals are nutty. They’re dumb. And it truly is life-changing money.”

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She went on to say that she told Twitch that “if you guys basically offered me nothing then, in a sense, you’re forcing my hand.”

She adds that, luckily, they did give her a good deal, and it was ultimately the platform she wanted to be on, anyway.

Later in the discussion, Pokimane mentioned how it would be “interesting” to see what happens when the contracts that creators like Ninja and Shroud come to their conclusion, and whether they return to Twitch or stick by their rival platform after originally deciding to make the move.

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Obviously, much of the discussion about switching streaming platforms comes down to the “truly life-changing” amounts of money being offered, something 100 Thieves CEO Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag commended the likes of Ninja and Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek for.

Of course, over time, the powers may shift between Twitch and some of their rivals, so where Pokimane is streaming in ten years could be somewhere completely different – we’ll just have to wait and see.