Who Owns Twitch?
Twitch is owned by Amazon.com Inc., a publicly traded American multinational technology company. Amazon acquired Twitch in 2014 for $970 million. Amazon is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol AMZN, headquartered in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Parent Company
Amazon.com Inc.
Acquired
2014
Status
Publicly Traded
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, USA
Who Owns Twitch?
- Parent Company: Amazon.com Inc.
- Ownership Type: Subsidiary
- Acquisition Year: 2014
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock Ticker: NASDAQ: AMZN
| Brand | Parent Company | Ownership Type |
|---|---|---|
| Twitch | Amazon.com Inc. | Subsidiary |
History of Twitch
- Founded: 2011
- Founders: Justin Kan, Emmett Shear, Kevin Lin, Michael Seibel
- Acquired by Amazon.com Inc.: 2014
Twitch originated from Justin.tv, a general-purpose live streaming platform founded in 2007 by Justin Kan, Emmett Shear, Kevin Lin, and Michael Seibel. The gaming category on Justin.tv proved exceptionally popular, leading the founders to spin it off as a separate platform called Twitch.tv in June 2011.
Twitch focused exclusively on video game streaming and esports, differentiating itself with interactive chat features, channel customization options, and community engagement tools. The platform grew rapidly, reaching 45 million monthly visitors by 2013 and becoming the dominant platform for gaming live streaming.
Amazon acquired Twitch in August 2014 for $970 million, beating Google's YouTube which had reportedly been in advanced acquisition talks. Under Amazon's ownership, Twitch expanded beyond gaming to include creative content, music streams, and talk shows while maintaining its core gaming focus.
The platform continued growing, introducing features like Twitch Prime (now Prime Gaming), Twitch Studios for content production, and significant esports partnerships. In 2023, Emmett Shear stepped down as CEO, replaced by Dan Clancy, who had previously served as Twitch President. As of 2025, Twitch remains the world's leading live streaming platform for gaming content.
About Amazon.com Inc.
What does Amazon own?
Amazon owns a large portfolio of brands and businesses including Amazon Marketplace, AWS, Prime Video, Kindle, Alexa, Echo, Whole Foods Market, Ring, Twitch, Audible, Amazon Music, MGM, IMDb, One Medical, Amazon Pharmacy, Zappos, Wondery, and Eero, among others. See the full brand index for a complete list.
Is Amazon publicly traded?
Yes. Amazon trades on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol AMZN. The company has been publicly traded since its IPO in May 1997.
Who founded Amazon?
Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos on July 5, 1994, in Bellevue, Washington. Bezos served as CEO until July 2021, when Andy Jassy succeeded him. Bezos remains executive chairman and the largest individual shareholder.
Where is Amazon headquartered?
Amazon is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company also has a significant presence in the Washington, D.C. area through its HQ2 campus in Arlington, Virginia, which opened in 2023.
Who owns Amazon?
Amazon has no controlling shareholder. Jeff Bezos is the largest individual shareholder and serves as executive chairman. Institutional investors including Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street are among the largest economic shareholders through index fund holdings.
What is Amazon's revenue?
For full-year 2025, Amazon reported net sales of $716.9 billion, up 12% year over year, with operating income of $80.0 billion and net income of $77.7 billion. AWS full-year 2025 revenue was $128.7 billion, up 20% year over year.
What is AWS?
Amazon Web Services is Amazon's cloud computing division, providing infrastructure, platform, and AI services to businesses, governments, and organizations globally. AWS is the world's largest cloud infrastructure provider. Full-year 2025 AWS revenue was $128.7 billion with operating income of $45.6 billion.
What antitrust cases is Amazon facing?
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon in September 2023, alleging that Amazon illegally maintains monopoly power over online retail and third-party marketplace services. The case was ongoing as of February 2026. Amazon also reached a settlement with the EU in 2022 over allegations related to its use of third-party seller data.
- Founded: 1994
- Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, USA
- Company Type: Publicly Traded
- Stock: NASDAQ: AMZN
Where Is Twitch Made / Based?
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, USA
- Manufacturing / Operations: United States, Global (distributed operations)
Brands Owned by Amazon.com Inc.
- Alexa - Amazon's artificial intelligence voice assistant technology powering smart speak...
- Amazon Advertising - Amazon's advertising platform providing sponsored product ads, display advertisi...
- Amazon Basics - Amazon's private label brand offering affordable, everyday essentials across mul...
- Amazon Fresh - Amazon's grocery delivery service offering fresh groceries, pantry items, and pr...
- Amazon Music - American music streaming service developed and operated by Amazon.com Inc....
- Amazon Pharmacy - Amazon's online pharmacy service offering prescription medications, over-the-cou...
- Amazon Studios - Amazon's film and television production company creating original content for Pr...
- Audible - Audiobook and podcast streaming service offering exclusive content, original pro...
- Amazon Web Services - Cloud computing platform offering over 200 services including computing power, s...
- Echo - Amazon's smart speaker brand offering voice-activated devices with Alexa integra...
- Eero - Amazon-owned mesh WiFi networking company providing whole-home WiFi coverage and...
- Freevee - Amazon's ad-supported streaming service offering movies and television shows wit...
- IMDb - Online database of movies, television shows, and entertainment content featuring...
- Amazon Kindle - E-reader devices and digital reading platform developed by Amazon, featuring E I...
- MGM - American film and television production company known for iconic film franchises...
- Prime Video - Subscription-based video streaming service offering movies, TV shows, and origin...
- Ring - Amazon-owned smart home security brand offering video doorbells, security camera...
- Whole Foods Market - American supermarket chain specializing in organic, natural, and specialty foods...
- Wondery - Amazon-owned podcast production and distribution company creating premium audio ...
- Zappos - Amazon-owned online fashion and footwear retailer known for exceptional customer...
Twitch Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +World's largest live streaming platform for gaming and esports
- +Strong technical infrastructure backed by Amazon's AWS capabilities
- +Interactive community features with real-time chat and engagement
- +Monetization options for content creators through subscriptions and donations
- +Integration with Amazon Prime through Prime Gaming benefits
- +Exclusive esports partnerships and tournament broadcasting rights
Considerations
- -Intense competition from YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming
- -Content moderation challenges at massive scale
- -Creator revenue share policies criticized by some streamers
- -Dependency on Amazon's corporate priorities and strategic decisions
- -Technical infrastructure costs for high-quality streaming
- -Platform policy changes affecting creator communities and revenue
Frequently Asked Questions About Twitch
Where to Buy
Disclosure: We may earn commission from purchases
Twitch on AmazonCompetitors to Twitch
These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.
| Brand | Parent Company | Country | Founded | Market Position | Primary Market | Gender Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta | USA | 2004 | Mass Market | North America | All Genders | |
| Bytedance | China | 2012 | Mass Market | Asia Pacific | All Genders |
Learn More About Competitors
Owned by Meta Platforms Inc.
American social media platform and social networking service, flagship product of Meta Platforms Inc.
Jinri Toutiao
Owned by ByteDance Ltd.
ByteDance's AI-powered Chinese news and content aggregation platform, founded in 2012 as the company's first product, with over 600 million registered users and 150 million daily active users.
Competitive Analysis
Market Positioning: Twitch competes with 2 brands in the same categories, ranging from mass market to luxury positioning.
Geographic Distribution: Competitors are headquartered across multiple regions, indicating global competition in this market segment.
Brand Heritage: Competitor brands range from established heritage brands to newer market entrants, with founding years spanning several decades.
Amazon.com Inc. Stock Information
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