This Was The Last Straw Between Sykkuno And Twitch
The battle between YouTube and Twitch over who will be the biggest streaming network has been raging for a while now. Both platforms have been competing to try and gather as many high-profile streamers as possible. It's gotten to the point that any time a streamer's contract expires, fans grow tense wondering if the content creator is going to get an offer that entices them to change sides or stick with the service they know and love. So far, it seems like YouTube has been taking away some of Twitch's advantages, managing to convert big-name streamers like Ludwig and TimTheTatman while also holding onto previously contracted streamers like Valkyrae.
Most recently, Sykkuno's Twitch contract came up for review. The streamer had always expressed his love for the purple platform in the past, explaining that he didn't really have any friends before he started streaming and that he found the community very welcoming. Since then, his channel had grown to over 4 million followers. That's why many fans were surprised to hear that he was moving over to team red. He posted an announcement video on May 2 and explained his reasons for the switch during his debut stream on YouTube the very next day.
Sykkuno didn't feel respected by Twitch
Sykkuno opened his first stream by admitting that the main reason for the switch was because YouTube offered him a better deal and it wouldn't have made sense to stay with Twitch. Moving platforms is always a risk, however, as it's impossible for a streamer to be certain how many of their viewers will follow them. He said that he approached Twitch when his contract was ending and that their initial offer was underwhelming, but that they increased their offer substantially when he refused and made another one that matched what he had received from YouTube. "I was really happy with it, actually," he stated. "And at that point I was just, like, oh, I'm probably not going guys. ... [Even if it's] a little worse, I'd probably stay on Twitch because, I mean, you guys saw how sad I was to leave. I didn't want to."
He then said that YouTube countered by offering a little more money, but that the offers were still very close. It seemed like Sykkuno had been struggling with the decision until he shared the detail that made his choice much easier. Twitch sent him an email that referred to him as "Sukkuno" in the subject line. It's possible that this was a typo, but Sykkuno explained that he felt it spoke to a more endemic lack of appreciation he'd been feeling from the platform for a while. "I was willing to work harder for less money, because I liked Twitch that much," he said. "And they couldn't even spell my name right." Hopefully, he is happier on YouTube.