[Update: Amazon has officially acquired Twitch for $970 million in cash.]
Twitch, the popular video-game livestreaming site, may have spurned a reported $1 billion acquisition offer from Google in favor of a richer proposal from Amazon.
The Wall Street Journal and The Information have both reported that Amazon is nearing a deal to acquire Twitch for more than $1 billion, and that the companies could announce the agreement as soon as today.
Previous reports that Google was acquiring Twitch were fueled by the company’s previous moves in the online video space, particularly its purchase of video streaming site YouTube in 2006. With YouTube’s strong ties to the gaming community, many believed a future partnership with Twitch was highly plausible.
Twitch was introduced by livestreaming site Justin.tv in 2011. Earlier this year, Justin.tv rebranded itself as Twitch due to the success of the video-game network.
Images courtesy of The World According To Marty, Ducksauce on Twitch.tv
