Ninja has officially moved back to Twitch after signing an exclusive multi-year deal with the streaming giant to livestream full-time on the platform. This is the first time that Ninja has had a permanent home since the closure of Mixer in July, following Microsoft’s exit from the streaming market.
Ninja, along with other high-profile names like Shroud, was one of the big streamers that Mixer signed last year in the hopes of competing directly against Twitch. Yet, Microsoft surprised everyone in June when it announced that Mixer was set to shut down, with viewers and content producers given the chance to be migrated to Facebook Gaming. When Ninja turned down that offer, he was released from his contract and received tens of millions of dollars in compensation. Since that time, it has been unclear where Ninja would stream, with YouTube even mooted as a possible choice.
It has now been revealed that professional streamer and internet personality Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has signed an exclusive deal with Twitch to stream on the platform. The multi-year agreement means that the streamer will livestream exclusively on Twitch on a full-time basis, returning to the site that he first made his name on almost 10 years ago. Speaking in a press release, Ninja confirmed he was happy to be back streaming, saying “I am excited to get back to streaming full-time and connecting with my loyal fanbase.” Meanwhile, senior vice president of content Michael Aragon spoke about the company’s desire to have such a big name back on the platform. In the same press release, Aragon said:
“Tyler is an iconic force in the gaming community, and it’s been amazing to see the impact he’s made on the industry and broader culture. Gaming – and the people who love it – are being recognized by a broad mainstream audience now in part because of Tyler, and we know he’s just getting started.”
Twitch has made headlines for the wrong reasons in recent times. Last week, the company faced criticism from fans and streamers when it fixed a bug that allowed viewers to get access to discounted subscriptions. The offer was only meant to be available to new customers but current subscribers were able to take advantage of it until the company closed this loophole. Meanwhile, the platform has also faced criticism from some who feel like it doesn’t do enough to protect vulnerable streamers.
The fact that Ninja has returned to Twitch is not exactly a huge surprise. Following the closure of Mixer, his options were pretty limited and Twitch seemed like the obvious choice. After all, he already had a strong following on the site and the company could afford to pay him big money to sign an exclusivity deal. Twitch also remained the undisputed king when it comes to streaming, with its viewer numbers and engagement continuing to impress. The agreement puts an end to weeks of speculation and should allow Ninja to get back to what he does best so that his fans can once again enjoy his content.
