Twitch has announced it will begin banning ‘waiting room’ channels, which have been increasingly criticized for rebroadcasting content from larger streamers without permission or added value. These channels, which act as placeholders until the original streamers go live, have been identified as a form of impersonation by Twitch, and the platform will now take action to remove them.
The Rise of ‘Waiting Room’ Channels
Over recent months, these streams have gained attention for recycling content from popular creators, essentially siphoning viewers and revenue away from original streamers. The waiting room format encourages viewers to wait on a rebroadcasted stream until the actual content creator goes live. For large streamers, this practice has been frustrating, as it pulls viewers to alternative channels that do not offer original or engaging content, effectively hurting their viewership and revenue streams.
Twitch’s Response and New Regulations
Twitch Support has confirmed that these bans will focus on channels that largely repurpose content without commentary or creative additions. The platform will consider elements such as the stream title, bio, and any reports from the impersonated creators when moderating these streams. The move is part of Twitch’s efforts to protect content creators from content theft, ensuring that streamers are compensated for their original work without competition from unauthorized rebroadcasts.
The new rules won’t affect channels that offer reaction streams, where users actively comment on or engage with live content from other creators. Similarly, waiting rooms that host streams for upcoming events like game expansions or character releases are still allowed, as they provide original interaction.
Why This Change?
This policy is being implemented to address complaints from major streamers, who argue that these ‘waiting room’ streams undermine the platform’s core values. By recycling content from well-known creators, these channels create an unfair competition and reduce the income potential of the original streamers. Twitch’s ban on these channels aims to create a more equitable environment, where creators can thrive based on their own work, without fear of losing viewers to unauthorized content reproduction.
While many see this as a necessary step to safeguard content creators, smaller streamers who have relied on the waiting room strategy to grow their audiences may face challenges as these changes roll out.
The shift represents Twitch’s broader mission to maintain fairness and uphold the rights of its content creators in a rapidly growing streaming ecosystem. Whether this move will have a significant impact on viewership distribution or create new challenges for smaller channels remains to be seen, but it underscores Twitch’s commitment to protecting original content on the platform.
Image Credit : Twitch