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Kick (service)
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Kick (also known as Kick.com) is a video livestreaming service. It is operated by Kick Streaming Pty Ltd and backed by online casino company Stake.com and streaming personality Trainwreckstv.[1] Kick was founded in 2022 as a competitor to Twitch, with a focus on looser moderation, higher revenue shares for streamers, and the inclusion of online gambling content which has been banned from other platforms.[2][3][4][5][6][7] In 2023, Kick made multiple high-profile deals with streamers including Adin Ross and xQc.[8][5] In Q3 2025, StreamCharts listed Kick.com as the fourth most watched livestreaming platform (among those monitored by the site) behind YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch.[9] Kick is also the sponsor of the Sauber Motorsport racing team in Formula One.
Key Information
Corporate structure
[edit]The Kick streaming platform had its inception in December 2022. To formalize its operations as a registered company in Australia, Kick Streaming Pty Ltd was established on 14 November of the same year.[10] The sole shareholder of Kick Streaming is Easygo Entertainment Pty Ltd.[11][12]
In a July 2023 interview, Craven said Kick is not currently profitable. However, the company tentatively plans to become profitable through advertising in one to three years.[13] In March 2025, Kick partnered with data analytics firm Streams Charts to launch the Kick Road Campaign, aiming to support emerging streamers with fewer than 100 concurrent viewers. The initiative offers a $50,000 prize pool, including a $20,000 grand prize for the streamer with the highest watch time.[14] At the same time, Kick Dev opened its public API and introduced a $100,000 developer fund to encourage the creation of third-party tools that enhance the streaming experience.[15]
Controversies
[edit]Content moderation
[edit]Compared to its competitor Twitch, Kick has looser policies against copyright infringement, hate speech, gambling content, harassment, and sexual content. However, its community guidelines prohibit those behaviors, as well as doxing and violent conduct.[5][16] A representative of the website said in March 2023 that the platform was in the process of expanding its moderation efforts and that it did not tolerate hate speech or copyright violations.[5]
A New York Times article stated that some of the website's content creators have committed what appeared to be crimes, such as sexual assault and trespassing while streaming.[17] Other content creators of the platform have had sex while streaming, brandished sex toys at children and made sexual remarks toward underage girls. After being banned from Twitch for what the streaming platform called "unmoderated hateful conduct on chat" in 2023, streamer Adin Ross migrated to Kick, where he livestreamed the Super Bowl, scrolled through Pornhub and invited white nationalist Nick Fuentes on a livestream.[5][16][17]
Kick has been called "a playground for people to be degenerate" by Kristin Gillespie, a co-founder of the New York-based Rights to Unmute, a not-for-profit organization that seeks to combat racism, bigotry, and harassment in gaming. She said in May 2024 that Kick has tolerated overly sexual and, sometimes, "predatory behavior" on the platform.[3] Kick streamer Hikaru Nakamura said that the platform was undergoing the same initial journey as other social media websites, including Twitch, which he said was "very much the Wild West" when it started. Nakamura further said that it usually takes time for such websites to adapt.[17]
Kick CEO Ed Craven stated in an interview that "people are realizing [that] the more controversial they are, the more shock factor involved in their content, the more viewers they get, and it can sometimes be a dangerous mix in that regard". He further said that Kick was in the process of adapting and deciding what type of content it should deem acceptable. In late 2023, Kick content creators Ice Poseidon and Sam Pepper were detained by Australian police after an incident involving a man they had met earlier that day. They attempted to film the man and a sex worker, both of whom had consented to be filmed, engaging in sexual activity in a hotel room. The situation escalated when the man initially prevented the sex worker from leaving. Following the incident, some streamers considered leaving the platform. In response to the incident and backlash, Kick updated its guidelines, adding a report button for rule-breaking content and introducing regulations on staff participation in "high-risk" livestreams.[17] In late 2024, Kick implemented changes to its gambling policies to address concerns over harmful and exploitative content. Effective 1 February 2025, the platform permits gambling streams only from sites that use ID verification to ensure users are at least 18 years old.[18]
Live death of a streamer
[edit]On the night of 17–18 August 2025, Jean Pormanove, whose real name was Raphaël Graven, died while streaming.[19] Pormanove had been a target of repeated harassment, humiliation, and physical abuse live on stream by his two partners, identified as "Naruto" (real name Owen Cenazandotti) and "Safine".[20] His streams were known for showing him regularly being subjected to mistreatment, with footage of the abuse broadcast to viewers for months.[21]
A judicial investigation into the cause of his death was launched by the Nice public prosecutor's office.[19] The events prompted official concern from the French government. Clara Chappaz, France's Minister Delegate for Digital, described the events as an "absolute horror" and referred the matter to the audiovisual regulator, ARCOM.[22][21] On 20 August 2025, Kick announced that it had banned accounts: "All co-streamers who participated in this live broadcast have been banned pending the ongoing legal investigation" and assured that it had "terminated [its] collaboration with the former French social media agency" and undertaken "a complete review of [its] French-language content.".[23][24][25]
On 26 August, Chappaz announced that the government would sue Kick for alleged negligence. On the same day, the Paris prosecutor's office announced that an investigation would be opened into whether Kick had violated the EU Digital Services Act and if it had knowingly broadcast "videos of deliberate attacks on personal integrity". Kick criticized these decisions as politicizing the death.[26][27]
Attack on Syko Stu
[edit]On 24 August 2025, Raja Jackson, best known as the son of former martial artist Quinton Jackson, also known as Rampage Jackson, knocked independent wrestler Syko Stu unconscious with a wrestling slam and then proceeded to hit his unconscious head over 20 times in what was considered to be an unprompted attack. Raja, who is also known to livestream on Kick and other services, was livestreaming on Kick throughout the entire ordeal, and his cameraman captured all footage (including both the incident that sparked the attack and the attack itself).[28]
Gambling content
[edit]Kick, which was founded by gambling industry businessmen Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, who are also the founders of the online casino website Stake.com, has been accused of promoting gambling content to its audience, including underage people, as well as having ties to gambling industry figures and influencers.[29]
Concordia University assistant professor Andrei Zanescu said that Kick's generous terms of service toward streamers, which only takes 5% of its creators' earnings instead of Twitch's 50%, can be explained by the influx of new users that Stake was receiving as the result of gambling streamers who broadcast themselves on Kick while using the gambling platform.[17]
UCLA Gambling Studies Program co-director Timothy Fong has expressed concerns about Kick's lack of transparency over gambling content. Twitch's former director of creator development, Marcus Graham, also criticized Kick for its lack of transparency around its connections to gambling platforms. He stated that "there are so many red flags present that it is embarrassing watching people who I respect give this platform an ounce of credibility".[29] In 2022, Graham called Kick a "sham" due to its lack of information about its investors.[2]
Craven stated in 2023 that the website intended to decrease exposure to gambling content.[29] He also said that the platform had strong safety controls to block children from being exposed to gambling livestreams, as well as people who live in jurisdictions where gambling is outlawed.[17]
In March 2025, Kick updated its monetization policies by removing the partner program payout for streamers in the Slots & Casino category. This change means that gambling content creators, including those streaming on platforms like Stake, are no longer eligible for the hourly pay under Kick's Partner Program.[30] Kick's decision aligns with growing ethical concerns about incentivizing gambling content, especially among younger audiences.[31]
Streaming deals
[edit]Trainwreckstv was among the earliest major streaming personalities on Kick.[32] Through 2023, the platform signed streaming deals with Hikaru Nakamura, Adin Ross, BruceDropEmOff, Amouranth, Tfue, and the Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano.[33][34][35][36][37][38] In June 2023, Kick announced that xQc signed a two-year, $70 million non-exclusive deal to the platform, with incentives that could increase the deal's value to $100 million. This made the signing of xQc to Kick the largest streaming deal, surpassing Ninja's $50 million exclusivity deal with the defunct Microsoft-owned Mixer.[8] The same month, political commentator Steven "Destiny" Bonnell announced a non-exclusive 12-month partnership with Kick for an undisclosed 7-figure amount.[39] Kick also signed a $1 million deal with Ilya Maddyson.[40] UFC fighter Max Holloway streams regularly on Kick.[41]
In August 2024, Adin Ross hosted a stream with U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, which had 580,000 live viewers and over 2.7 million views on YouTube. This event was part of Trump's campaign strategy to engage with younger audiences, with his son Barron reportedly encouraging the outreach to the "manosphere" community.[42]
Sponsorships
[edit]Motorsport
[edit]In January 2023, Alfa Romeo F1 Team signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Kick. Kick replaced Stake (Alfa Romeo's title sponsor) in countries where gambling and sports betting advertisements are not allowed as "Alfa Romeo F1 Team Kick".[43][44] Alfa Romeo raced a revised Kick livery called the "disruptive livery" at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.[45] Alfa Romeo left the sport after the end of the year, and Kick extended their relationship with Sauber Motorsport, renaming the team to "Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber."[46] The team will race as "Kick Sauber F1 Team" in countries with restrictions on promoting gambling, which was previously done with Alfa Romeo's title sponsorship.[47][48] Kick also secured the naming rights to Sauber's 2024 and 2025 chassis, naming it as Kick Sauber C44 and Kick Sauber C45, respectively.[49]
Esports
[edit]In June 2023, Sauber Esports announced a title partnership with Kick to form "Alfa Romeo F1 Team KICK Esports"[50] and entered the 2023–24 Formula One Sim Racing World Championship as KICK F1 Sim Racing Team (the team entered the first round as Alfa Romeo F1 Team KICK Esports prior to Alfa Romeo's departure). KICK F1 Sim Racing Team continues with Thomas Ronhaar and Brendon Leigh for the 2024–25 season following a successful first season.[51]
Football
[edit]In August 2023, Kick signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Premier League club Everton as the club's official sleeve sponsor.[52]
MMA
[edit]In October 2024, the UFC partnered with Kick to launch a dedicated streaming channel featuring watchalongs, press conferences, behind-the-scenes content, and fighter interviews.[53][54]
Policies
[edit]According to Kick, streamers on the platform keep 95% of subscription revenue.[55][13]
In late 2024, Kick implemented changes to its gambling policies to address concerns over harmful and exploitative content. Effective 1 February 2025, the platform permits gambling streams only from sites that use ID verification to ensure users are at least 18 years old.[56]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Staff, Matt Craig, Forbes (9 June 2024). "These entrepreneurs went all in on a crypto casino – and became billionaires". Forbes Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Liao, Shannon (7 December 2022). "Top Twitch creator endorses platform connected to crypto gambling site". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ a b Begley, Patrick (2 May 2024). "'A playground for degenerates': The dark corners of an Australian streaming giant". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ Burgess, Sanya (September 2023). "'I lost half-a-million dollars, but I kept playing': Inside the new online gambling craze". Sky News. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d e D'Anastasio, Cecilia (3 March 2023). "Twitch's New Streaming Rival Kick Tests Waters of Lighter Moderation". Bloomberg. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- ^ Tsiaoussidis, Alex; Richman, Olivia (28 March 2023). "Who owns Kick.com? Fledgling Twitch streaming rival responds to Stake rumors". Dot Esports.
- ^ Bennett, Tess (31 March 2023). "Local crypto billionaires use Grand Prix to debut new venture". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ^ a b Browning, Kellen (16 June 2023). "Twitch Star Signs $100 Million Deal With Rival Platform". The New York Times.
- ^ Dempsey, Iarfhlaith (29 October 2025). "TikTok Live gains on YouTube Live for top spot in Q3 2025 with 15% watch time boost". StreamCharts. Retrieved 16 November 2025.
- ^ "ABN Lookup". abr.business.gov.au. 1 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2 July 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ^ Wilson, Cam (29 March 2023). "Live-streaming platform Kick is part-owned by Australian crypto billionaire Ed Craven". Crikey. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ Waterhouse, Tom (30 August 2023). "Waterhouse VC August update: Twitch vs. Kick and the rise of gambling streams as entertainment". NEXT.io. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ a b Hale, James (27 July 2023). "Here's how Kick plans to get profitable". Tubefilter. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Xu, Davide (27 March 2025). "Streams Charts teams up with Kick to support emerging streamers". Esports Insider. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- ^ Salinas, Gen (14 March 2025). "Kick creates fund to pay developers to improve its streaming experience". Creator Handbook. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ^ a b Shah, Saqib (14 August 2023). "What is Kick? Twitch streamers moving to rival platform". Evening Standard. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Browning, Kellen (2023). "Gambling, Risky Pranks, and Lucrative Contracts: Inside the Streaming Site Kick". The New York Times.
- ^ "Streaming platform Kick changes gambling policy over harmful content". CDC Gaming. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Ce que l'on sait de la mort en direct du streameur français Jean Pormanove, victime régulière de sévices filmés". Franceinfo (in French). 19 August 2025. Archived from the original on 11 October 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "French streamer dies live on air after months of humiliation and abuse". 20 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ a b Lefilliâtre, Jérôme (19 August 2025). "La mort en direct du streameur Jean Pormanove, humilié et maltraité pendant des mois" [The live death of the streamer Jean Pormanove, humiliated and abused for months]. Le Monde (in French). Archived from the original on 17 September 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "Jean Pormanove : ce que l'on sait sur le décès du streamer français à l'âge de 46 ans". www.rtl.fr (in French). 19 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "Mort de Jean Pormanove: la plateforme Kick assure que "tous les co-streameurs" ont été "bannis dans l'attente de l'enquête"". BFMTV (in French). 20 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "Mort de Jean Pormanove : la plateforme Kick suspend, le temps de l'enquête, les comptes des streameurs ayant participé au direct lors duquel il est mort". Franceinfo (in French). 20 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "La réponse très critiquée de Kick après la mort en direct de Jean Pormanove". Le HuffPost (in French). 20 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- ^ "France to sue Kick for alleged negligence over livestream death". The Guardian. 26 August 2025. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ "Kick accuses French authorities of politicising streamer's death". www.bbc.com. 28 August 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ^ Harkness, Ryan (24 August 2025). "Video: Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's son Raja puts pro wrestler in hospital". MMA Mania. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
- ^ a b c "Influencers flock to platform known for gambling industry ties". NBC News. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ "Streaming platform Kick changes gambling policy over harmful content". CDC Gaming. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ Simmons, Fiona (31 March 2025). "Kick Revises Hourly Pay Policy with New Update". GamblingNews. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ ""A New Era of Streaming" – Trainwreckstv Stuns Twitch Supporters With Over $16,000 Income Within 10 Days of Streaming on Kick". EssentiallySports. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ Winslow, Levi (6 April 2023). "Former Twitch King Ninja On Mixer's Failure (And Kick's Potential)". Kotaku.com. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ^ "Adin Ross' 'The Decision'". YouTube. 23 February 2023.
- ^ "Kick Signs Yet Another Prominent Twitch Streamer". Game Rant. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Amouranth Follows xQc's Lead And Leaves Twitch". Kotaku. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ Cooke, Hunter (19 November 2023). "Tfue returns to streaming with Kick, ending 5-month retirement". Dot Esports. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ Castillo, Alejandro; Reidy, Paul (22 August 2023). "Here we Go! Fabrizio Romano signs for Kick". Diario AS. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ "Destiny Signs With Kick But He Has Two Conditions". EarlyGame. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
- ^ Mironova, Elizaveta (21 November 2024). "Maddyson получил бан на Twitch и анонсировал стримы на Kick" [Maddyson gets a ban on Twitch and announced streams on Kick]. cybersport.metaratings.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "Max Holloway admits fear of brutal legacy stat ahead of next fight". MMA Knockout On SI. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
- ^ Wilson, Cam (20 May 2024). "The Australian who helped Trump enter manosphere and win the White House". The Australian. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ^ Rathore, Nischay (2 February 2023). "Sponsorship Trouble Forces Alfa Romeo to Play the Sneaky Game in 2023 F1 Season". EssentiallySports. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ "New title sponsor Alfa Romeo not visible at every F1 Grand Prix". www.gpblog.com. 11 February 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- ^ Collantine, Keith (24 July 2023). "Alfa Romeo reveal neon green livery changes for Belgian GP". RaceFans. Archived from the original on 24 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "Sauber's new team name unveiled after departure of Alfa Romeo as title sponsor". Formula 1. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ Brittle, Cian (4 January 2024). "Sauber to alternate F1 team name between Stake and Kick". BlackBook Motorsport. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ Lawrence, Dan (5 January 2024). "Sauber to switch between Stake and Kick F1 branding in 2024 and '25". Motorsport Week. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Streaming giant, Kick.com, secure Sauber Motorsport chassis naming rights for 2024 and 2025". Sauber Group. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ Muhammad, Isa (14 June 2023). "Alfa Romeo Joins the Esports Race With Kick Collaboration". BeyondGames.biz. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ "KICK F1 Sim Racing Team to continue with Thomas Ronhaar and Brendon Leigh into 2024–25 Sim Racing season". sauber-group.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Everton Signs Sleeve Deal with KICK". Everton. 1 August 2023.
- ^ Islam, Arif (28 October 2024). "UFC launches streaming channel on Kick as part of global deal". SportsPro. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "UFC Launches Channel On Kick.com With New Global Partnership | UFC". www.ufc.com. 25 October 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ IV, Antonio Pequeño. "Twitch Introduces 70/30 Revenue Split For Some Streamers Through New Program—With Some Caveats". Forbes. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Streaming platform Kick changes gambling policy over harmful content". CDC Gaming. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Iyer, Ravi (10 May 2023). "An in-depth interview with Kick.com co-founder Ed Craven". Streams Charts. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
External links
[edit]Kick (service)
View on GrokipediaHistory
Founding and Early Development
Kick was co-founded by Australian entrepreneurs Edward "Ed" Craven and Bijan Tehrani, who had previously established Stake.com, a cryptocurrency-backed online casino generating $4.7 billion in revenue by 2023.[7] The platform operates under the Australian entity Kick Streaming Pty Ltd, officially registered on November 14, 2022.[2] Tehrani holds approximately two-thirds ownership, with Craven controlling the remaining one-third.[2] The origins of Kick trace back to the founders' broader ventures in online entertainment and gaming via their company Easygo, building on experiences from teenage pursuits in gaming economies like RuneScape staking.[1] [8] Development emphasized a creator-centric model to challenge incumbents, leveraging Stake's resources for rapid scaling without traditional venture funding dependencies.[9] The service launched publicly as a livestreaming platform by late December 2022, initially focusing on video streaming capabilities amid a competitive landscape dominated by Twitch.[1]Launch and Initial Growth
Kick launched its beta version in December 2022 as a live streaming platform emphasizing creator-friendly policies, including a 95/5 revenue split that allocates 95 percent of subscription earnings to streamers, in contrast to the 50/50 model prevalent on competitors like Twitch.[10][11] Co-founded by Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani under the Australian entertainment firm Easygo, the platform benefited from early input by streamer Tyler "Trainwreckstv" Niknam, who helped shape its appeal to disaffected creators seeking higher payouts and looser content restrictions.[1] Initial growth accelerated through high-profile signing bonuses and contracts, attracting streamers such as Félix "xQc" Lengyel, Adin Ross, and chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura shortly after launch.[1] The platform reached one million registered users within 69 days, outpacing early adoption rates of established services like Netflix (3.5 years to one million) and Spotify (five months).[10] This surge was driven by targeted recruitment from Twitch, where policy changes and revenue disputes had alienated top talent, positioning Kick as an alternative amid broader industry dissatisfaction.[11] By early 2023, Kick had expanded to over 500,000 content creators globally and forged a partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in March 2023, with further partnerships like Formula 1 esports following later in the year.[1][12] Viewer engagement metrics reflected this momentum, with the platform logging 52 million hours watched in April 2023.[13]Expansion and Milestones (2023–2025)
In 2023, Kick reached its first significant viewership milestone, accumulating over 100 million hours watched in August, marking a rapid ascent driven by high-profile streamer signings and lenient content policies that attracted creators from competitors.[14] The platform's summer period saw peak streamer activity, with casino and slots content leading viewership at 26 million hours in the first quarter alone.[15][16] Kick's expansion accelerated in 2024, with total hours watched exceeding 2 billion—a 142% increase from 2023—and average concurrent viewership rising 149% to approximately 258,000.[17] October marked a record-breaking month, propelled by events like DEDsafío 3 and streams from creators such as Westcol and Spreen, who joined the platform in September, boosting category viewership in Just Chatting and Spanish-language content.[18][19][20] By 2025, Kick solidified its position among major streaming platforms, crossing 1.1 billion hours watched in the second quarter and entering the "Big Four" for market share.[21] January logged 281 million hours, followed by March's all-time highs exceeding 300 million hours and a 20% peak viewership surge.[22][23] August set a concurrent viewership record above 2.55 million, while esports hours hit 6.8 million in September, including Stream Fighters 3's peak of 1.6 million viewers.[24][25][26] Strategic partnerships, such as the June collaboration with One True King (OTK) for exclusive event series via Kick Studios, enhanced creator incentives and content production.[27] Regional focus expanded into the United States, Germany, Brazil, Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia, supporting sustained growth.[28]Corporate Background
Ownership and Leadership
Kick is owned by Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani through their company Easygo Entertainment Pty Ltd., which serves as the sole shareholder of Kick Streaming Pty Ltd, the entity operating the platform.[29][2] Craven and Tehrani, who co-founded the cryptocurrency-based online casino Stake.com in 2017, launched Kick on December 5, 2022, positioning it as a creator-focused alternative to Twitch with a 95/5 revenue split favoring streamers.[30][1] Ed Craven acts as Kick's Chief Executive Officer, managing day-to-day operations, content acquisition strategies, and investments in high-profile streamer contracts that have driven platform growth, including deals exceeding $100 million by mid-2023.[2][31] Under his leadership, Kick reported profitability in the first quarter of 2024 and achieved record viewership hours of 317 million in March 2025.[32] Bijan Tehrani, as co-founder, contributes to strategic decisions and has publicly addressed platform controversies, such as denying unsubstantiated $49 million fine rumors in August 2025 related to content moderation issues.[33] The ownership structure reflects the founders' background in online gambling, with Stake.com providing initial financial backing and shared operational synergies, including cross-promotions and a tolerance for gambling-related content that differentiates Kick from stricter competitors.[34] No public details indicate external investors or changes in equity control as of October 2025, maintaining the duo's direct influence over platform policies and expansion.[2]Operational Structure
Kick is operated by Kick Streaming Pty Ltd, a privately held Australian company established in 2022 with its primary headquarters located in Melbourne, Victoria.[3][29] As of October 2025, the company maintains approximately 500 employees at its Melbourne headquarters, supported by an additional 100 staff across global operations, reflecting rapid scaling since its 2023 launch.[2] Independent estimates place the total workforce at around 692, indicating a 25% year-over-year growth driven by platform expansion.[35] Kick's operational model emphasizes a lean, creator-focused infrastructure, prioritizing low-overhead content delivery and revenue distribution over extensive in-house moderation teams, which contrasts with larger competitors like Twitch.[36] The platform relies on cloud-based streaming technology for global scalability, with servers distributed to minimize latency for international users, though specific technical partnerships remain undisclosed in public filings.[37]Platform Features and Policies
Core Functionality and Technical Aspects
Kick operates as a live video streaming platform, allowing users—primarily content creators—to broadcast real-time video feeds accessible via web browsers, mobile apps, and desktop clients. Core functionality centers on enabling streams of diverse content categories, including video gaming, in-real-life (IRL) broadcasts, and interactive sessions with viewers through integrated chat systems. Streamers initiate broadcasts by authenticating via a stream key and RTMP ingest URL provided by the platform, which supports ingestion from popular open-source and proprietary software such as OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop, and XSplit.[38][39] On the technical side, Kick enforces streaming parameters optimized for stable delivery over variable internet connections: maximum video bitrate of 8,000 kbps, frame rates up to 60 fps, and resolutions typically capped at 1080p for input, though viewer-side transcoding begins at 720p and scales to higher qualities (e.g., 1080p) based on concurrent viewership thresholds to manage server load.[38][39] The platform employs standard protocols like RTMP for upload and likely HLS for adaptive bitrate playback on the client end, facilitating low-latency interaction comparable to competitors, though specific end-to-end latency figures are not publicly detailed beyond user-reported averages around 1-2 seconds under optimal conditions.[40] Chat functionality integrates directly with streams, supporting real-time messaging, emotes, and moderation tools, with backend reliance on cloud infrastructure for global distribution and scalability.[38] Additional technical features include multi-platform streaming capabilities via third-party tools for simultaneous broadcasts and API access for developers to query stream metadata, such as viewer counts and uptime, though advanced integrations like custom overlays require external software configuration.[41] Kick's architecture prioritizes high availability, with reported uptime exceeding 99% during peak events, supported by distributed edge servers to minimize geographic latency variations.[42]Revenue Sharing Model
Kick's revenue sharing model prioritizes creator retention through a flat 95/5 split on subscription revenue, where streamers receive 95% and the platform retains 5%, applicable uniformly across all subscription tiers without tiered reductions based on creator status.[43][44] For a standard $4.99 monthly subscription, this yields approximately $4.74 per subscriber for the creator after the platform's cut.[43] This structure, introduced at launch in 2023, contrasts sharply with competitors like Twitch, which defaults to a 50/50 split for most affiliates, enabling Kick to attract high-profile streamers seeking higher direct earnings from audience support.[45][46] Complementing subscriptions, Kick's Creator Incentive Program (KCIP), launched in early 2024, provides additional hourly compensation tied to concurrent viewership, rewarding organic live stream engagement rather than solely subscriber counts.[44][47] Eligible partners earn based on real-time metrics, with reports indicating rates around $16 per hour for qualifying streams, though exact formulas remain proprietary and scale with audience size.[48] Donations and tips, facilitated through integrated tools, typically pass through to creators with minimal or no platform fees, further enhancing net payouts compared to ad-heavy models on rival platforms.[49] The Partner Program formalizes access to these incentives, requiring consistent streaming hours and viewer thresholds for eligibility, while emphasizing transparency in payouts processed via direct deposit or similar methods.[50] This model has driven creator migration, with data showing Kick's subscription revenue per streamer outperforming Twitch equivalents—for instance, 50 subscribers generating roughly $237 monthly on Kick versus $125 on Twitch's standard terms.[51] Funded primarily by parent company Stake.com's gambling operations, the aggressive splits sustain platform growth without heavy reliance on advertising revenue shares, which remain underdeveloped as of 2025.[52]Content Guidelines and Moderation Approach
Kick's Community Guidelines, last updated on February 6, 2025, establish a framework that prioritizes "responsible freedom of expression" while prohibiting content deemed harmful or illegal, with an emphasis on creator autonomy and contextual evaluation of violations.[6] The policy positions Kick as a "creator-led platform" that balances free speech with community safety, assessing infractions based on factors such as intent, audience reaction, and real-world outcomes rather than zero-tolerance for all edge cases.[6] Enforcement relies on user reports submitted via an in-platform "Report" button, followed by platform review leading to actions ranging from warnings and content adjustments to temporary suspensions or permanent bans, with zero tolerance applied to severe offenses like child sexual abuse material or terrorism promotion.[6] Prohibited categories include hate speech targeting individuals or groups on bases such as gender, race, religion, or disability; explicit violence or harassment inciting harm; pornography and uncovered nudity, though sexually suggestive content is permitted if labeled as mature (18+) and categorized appropriately, such as in "Pools, Hot Tubs & Bikinis" streams; and doxxing, fraud, or promotion of self-harm.[6] Gambling streams are allowed if legal in the creator's jurisdiction and sourced from age-verified (18+) platforms, but strictly ban involvement of minors, user-funded buy-ins, or sweepstakes; updates effective February 1, 2025, further restricted broadcasts to casinos implementing ID-based age verification to mitigate exploitative content risks.[6] [53] Creators bear responsibility for ensuring content authenticity and legality, with channel owners tasked with overseeing sub-streams, while moderators must align with these standards.[6] Moderation tools empower streamers and appointed moderators to manage chat via commands like/ban, /timeout (up to 7 days), and message deletion, alongside features such as blocked words/phrases, hyperlink filtering, and chat modes including slow mode, subscribers-only, or emotes-only to curb toxicity.[54] Personal options include muting users platform-wide or blocking channels, but automated systems remain limited, with no advanced AI filtering detailed in official documentation.[54] Appeals against suspensions are handled via email to [email protected], though response times and outcomes vary.[6]
Critics, including child safety advocates, have highlighted inconsistent enforcement, particularly for mature or gambling content accessible to minors despite guidelines, with reports of spotty filters and delayed responses enabling harmful streams.[55] [56] In July 2025, UK regulator Ofcom launched an investigation into Kick's age assurance measures for pornographic content, underscoring ongoing concerns over compliance and protective efficacy.[57] These issues contrast with the platform's permissive stance relative to competitors, which some attribute to its gambling affiliations but which official policy frames as fostering creator incentives over rigid oversight.[6]
Creator Ecosystem
High-Profile Streaming Contracts
Kick aggressively pursued high-profile streamers from Twitch and other platforms through lucrative contracts, aiming to disrupt the market dominated by Amazon's Twitch. These deals, often non-exclusive and spanning one to two years, featured guaranteed payments supplemented by performance incentives and revenue shares, with reported values ranging from tens to hundreds of millions of dollars. This strategy, backed by Stake.com's gambling revenue, enabled Kick to attract top talent despite its nascent platform status, though some contracts faced scrutiny over sustainability and streamer satisfaction.[58][59] One of the platform's landmark signings was Félix "xQc" Lengyel on June 16, 2023, with a two-year non-exclusive contract valued at approximately $70 million base, potentially reaching $100 million including incentives—a record for individual streaming deals at the time.[58][60] xQc, previously Twitch's most-watched streamer by hours, streamed primarily on Kick until the deal's reported expiration around mid-2025, after which some influencers returned to Twitch amid cooling rival incentives.[61][62]| Streamer | Signing Date | Reported Value | Duration & Exclusivity | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| xQc (Félix Lengyel) | June 16, 2023 | $70–100 million | 2 years, non-exclusive | Largest individual deal; incentives pushed total value.[58][60] |
| Amouranth (Kaitlyn Siragusa) | June 2023 | ~$30 million | Multi-year, terms undisclosed | Signed shortly after xQc; focused on adult-oriented content.[59][63] |
| Nickmercs (Nick Kolcheff) | October 2023 | $10 million | Terms undisclosed | Gaming-focused; annual estimate ~$35 million for similar deals cited in context.[59] |
| BruceDropEmOff | May 31, 2023 | $80 million | 2 years, exclusivity unclear | High-value but short-lived satisfaction; early adopter post-Twitch ban.[64][65] |
| Adin Ross | March 2023 | Undisclosed (claimed up to $100 million in later statements) | Multi-year, non-exclusive initially | Signed after Twitch ban; platform tensions led to September 2025 ban amid gambling sponsorships; separate $140 million collective offer to Ross, Kai Cenat, and IShowSpeed in 2025, with others declining.[66][67][68] |
Community and Creator Incentives
Kick's primary incentives for creators center on its revenue sharing model and dedicated programs designed to attract and retain streamers. Through the Partner Program, eligible creators receive 95% of subscription revenue, with the platform retaining only 5%, a structure introduced to differentiate from competitors like Twitch.[50] Eligibility requires a verified channel, at least 75 concurrent viewers, 30 streaming hours, 25 active subscribers, 250 unique chatters, and 250 followers over the preceding 30 days, among other metrics.[72] Partners benefit from per-stream earnings and support for multistreaming, retaining 50% of Partner income even when broadcasting elsewhere.[50] The Creator Incentive Program, launched in phases starting August 2023 and expanded widely by February 2024, provides additional hourly payments to participants based on stream performance metrics including concurrent viewership, unique chatters, and hours streamed.[73][74] Payments vary algorithmically, with reported rates reaching up to $16 per hour or higher depending on engagement levels, aiming to offer steady income independent of viewer donations or subs.[75][76] This program has distributed over $46 million in payouts since 2024, underscoring Kick's emphasis on financial rewards to build its creator base.[50] For community engagement, Kick implements Channel Points, a system where logged-in viewers accumulate points passively while watching streams, redeemable for custom rewards defined by the streamer such as emotes, badges, or stream highlights.[77] This feature incentivizes prolonged viewership and interaction without direct monetary cost to participants, fostering loyalty and chat activity specific to each channel's audience.[77] Streamers control reward thresholds and redemptions, enabling tailored community-building tools that enhance retention beyond passive consumption.[78]Sponsorships and Partnerships
Motorsport Involvement
Kick entered into a major partnership with Sauber Motorsport in January 2023, becoming a principal sponsor for the team's Formula One activities following the rebranding from Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN to Stake F1 Team. This deal positioned Kick alongside Stake.com, the team's title sponsor, with Kick's branding prominently featured on the cars, team apparel, and other assets. The collaboration extended to esports, where Kick secured an exclusive co-title partnership with Sauber Motorsport's Formula 1 Esports team, named Alfa Romeo F1 Team KICK.[79] In December 2023, Sauber announced that Kick had acquired naming rights for the team's chassis for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, designating it the "Kick Sauber" in regions where gambling advertising restrictions applied to the full Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber branding.[80][81] This arrangement highlighted Kick's strategy to leverage F1's global visibility for audience engagement through live streaming integrations and content creator activations.[82] The partnership continued into 2025, with Kick maintaining its role amid the team's transition preparations for the Audi factory team entry in 2026.[83] Beyond direct team sponsorship, Kick's involvement extended to individual motorsport initiatives, such as streamer Rexzilla securing full sponsorship for a NASCAR Cup Series car at Martinsville Speedway on October 26, 2025, marking the platform's first such entry in stock car racing.[84] This event underscored Kick's ecosystem-driven approach, enabling creators to fund high-profile racing appearances tied to the platform's branding.Esports Engagements
Kick entered the esports sector through sponsorships and broadcasting partnerships starting in early 2024. In January 2024, the platform announced a sponsorship deal with Singapore-based organization BLEED Esports, featuring Kick branding on jerseys for its Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 teams.[85] This marked Kick's initial foray into direct team sponsorships within competitive gaming.[86] In April 2024, Kick partnered with ESL FACEIT Group to host in-person activations at DreamHack events, including those in Melbourne, Dallas, Atlanta, and Stockholm. These activations encompassed panel sessions, meet-and-greets with creators, and dedicated creator zones to engage attendees.[87] The collaboration extended to campaigns like Pitch Kick for DreamHack Atlanta in August 2025, where creators submitted livestream concepts for judging based on originality and platform fit, with winners broadcasting live from the event.[88] Kick expanded its broadcasting presence with a non-exclusive streaming agreement with BLAST Premier in July 2024, covering Counter-Strike events for the remainder of the year and reaching over 150 territories in 28 languages.[89] By mid-2025, the platform secured exclusive streaming rights for select tournaments, including all events from the Champion of Champions Tour (CCT) starting in July 2025 and the Fragadelphia x The Block 2 Counter-Strike event from October 2 to 5, 2025.[25] [90] These deals contributed to Kick achieving record esports viewership in September 2025, surpassing prior monthly highs.[25]Combat Sports and Other Partnerships
Kick established a global marketing partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on October 26, 2024, coinciding with UFC 308. Under the agreement, UFC created a dedicated channel on the Kick platform to deliver original content, including watchalongs, press conferences, behind-the-scenes access, and fighter interviews, aimed at enhancing fan engagement with mixed martial arts. The deal positions Kick as an official UFC partner, granting branding opportunities such as logo placement in the Octagon during events and integration into UFC's promotional ecosystem.[91][92][93] Beyond UFC, Kick has facilitated high-viewership combat sports events, particularly in influencer and crossover boxing. Misfits Boxing, a promotion featuring celebrity and content creator bouts, operates an official channel on Kick for live streaming its events, aligning with the platform's emphasis on unscripted, high-energy combat content. Additionally, on October 23, 2025, the Stream Fighters 4 boxing event—organized by Colombian streamer Luis "Westcol" Villa—drew a record 4.6 million concurrent viewers on Kick, surpassing prior platform benchmarks for combat sports streams and demonstrating Kick's capacity to host large-scale alternative fight cards.[94][95] These combat sports ties complement Kick's broader sponsorship strategy, which prioritizes visibility in adrenaline-driven sectors over traditional media alignments, though specific financial terms of these deals remain undisclosed in public announcements.[96]Controversies and Criticisms
Content Moderation Challenges
Kick's content moderation framework, outlined in its community guidelines updated February 6, 2025, prohibits illegal activities, violence, self-harm, hate speech, and harassment, yet the platform's deliberate leniency relative to Twitch has drawn widespread criticism for insufficient enforcement.[6] [97] This approach, intended to foster creator autonomy and attract streamers restricted elsewhere, has permitted persistent issues with harmful content, including extreme sexualization, misogynistic rhetoric, and promotion of risky behaviors.[98] [99] A stark illustration emerged on August 20, 2025, when French streamer Jean Pormanove died live after months of on-stream humiliation and physical abuse by peers, with Kick failing to halt the broadcast despite prior awareness of the abusive content.[100] The incident, viewed by thousands, prompted France to file a negligence lawsuit against Kick on August 27, 2025, alleging inadequate safeguards.[101] Australia's eSafety Commissioner similarly condemned the platform for breaching its own harmful content removal obligations, highlighting delays in response that exacerbated public exposure.[102] Regulatory pressures compounded these operational shortcomings, as the UK's Ofcom initiated an investigation on May 14, 2025, probing Kick's adherence to legal duties for assessing and mitigating risks of illegal content dissemination.[103] Safety advocates have flagged systemic gaps, such as unchecked hate speech and gambling streams targeting vulnerable audiences, which evade proactive filtering due to resource constraints and policy flexibility.[56] Kick executives have defended their stance as a balanced alternative to overly restrictive peers, but streamer feedback in late 2024 indicated perceptions of inconsistent or overly reactive moderation, undermining trust in the system.[104] [5] [105]Gambling Content Promotion
Kick maintains a dedicated "Slots & Casino" category on its platform, enabling live streams of online gambling activities such as slots, blackjack, and roulette, which has attracted specialized creators and viewers since the site's inception in December 2022.[106] This contrasts with Twitch's October 2022 ban on unlicensed gambling streams, which explicitly targeted operators like Stake.com and prompted migrations to Kick.[107] Streamers in this category often receive direct sponsorships from gambling affiliates, including Stake.com—Kick's primary backer and a cryptocurrency casino—leading to integrated promotions where broadcasters wager real funds on-air, sometimes offering viewer giveaways or bonuses tied to casino sign-ups.[108][98] The platform's revenue model incentivizes such content through a 95/5 creator split and exclusive deals, with leaked documents from 2023 revealing Stake-funded contracts for Kick streamers exceeding $100 million in total payouts, prioritizing gambling-focused broadcasts. High-profile examples include streamer Trainwreckstv, a Kick co-founder, who routinely streams Stake sessions, and Adin Ross, whose contracts bundled gambling endorsements with platform exclusivity.[107] These arrangements have boosted Kick's growth, with gambling streams contributing significantly to its 2.097 billion hours watched in 2024, a 142% year-over-year increase.[109] Criticism has centered on the promotional effects, particularly risks to younger audiences, as Kick lacks robust age gates and moderation, allowing gambling content to reach minors despite community guidelines prohibiting streams involving user-funded buy-ins or lotteries.[6][55] Reports highlight concerns over addiction normalization, with outlets like The New York Times noting Kick's "embrace of online gambling" as a core differentiator amid lax oversight.[98][110] In November 2024, Kick updated its policy—effective February 1, 2025—to limit streams to jurisdictionally licensed casinos only, framed as audience protection but questioned by observers as a minimal concession given Stake's ongoing influence.[53] This shift followed regulatory scrutiny in regions like Australia and Europe, where gambling ads face restrictions, yet Kick continues alternating sponsorships (e.g., with Sauber F1 in gambling-banned markets) to sustain visibility.[111]High-Profile Incidents and Regulatory Scrutiny
In August 2025, French streamer Raphaël Graven, known online as Jean Pormanove, died during a livestream on Kick after enduring months of apparent violence, humiliation, and abuse broadcast for viewer entertainment.[112][113] French prosecutors opened a judicial investigation into Kick, examining the platform's role in facilitating the content, while the French government announced plans to sue the company for negligence in content oversight.[114][115] Australia's eSafety Commissioner criticized Kick for inadequate handling of violent material, highlighting failures to enforce its own guidelines against such content despite the platform's stated prohibitions.[97][102] On October 21, 2025, British streamer Sam Pepper was banned from Kick following a stunt in which he launched a firework toward a teenage girl, causing injury and prompting public backlash over reckless endangerment during live broadcasts.[116] Regulatory pressures intensified around Kick's promotion of gambling streams, linked to its ownership ties with Stake.com, a cryptocurrency casino. In November 2024, Kick announced stricter policies effective February 1, 2025, restricting gambling broadcasts to licensed platforms with mandatory age verification for users 18 and older, aiming to curb harmful and exploitative content amid growing concerns over youth exposure.[117][118] A September 2025 lawsuit in Los Angeles accused Kick and Stake.US of facilitating illegal gambling by streaming promotions that targeted California residents, evading state bans on such activities through offshore operations.[119] In May 2025, the UK's Ofcom launched an investigation into Kick's compliance with duties to assess risks of illegal content, focusing on potential failures in protecting users from prohibited material.[103] These actions reflect broader scrutiny of Kick's lax moderation compared to competitors, with U.S. regulations prohibiting most online gambling and platforms often enabling circumvention via geoblocking weaknesses.[98]Reception and Market Impact
Comparisons with Competitors
Kick distinguishes itself from primary competitors like Twitch and YouTube Gaming through a more favorable revenue split for creators and less restrictive content guidelines, attracting streamers dissatisfied with established platforms' policies. Launched in 2022 by Stake.com, Kick offers creators 95% of subscription revenue, compared to Twitch's standard 50% for affiliates and YouTube's 70%. This structure has enabled Kick to sign high-profile exclusives, such as multi-year deals with streamers like Adin Ross, by promising immediate high earnings without the tiered partner requirements common on Twitch.[120][121][122]| Platform | Subscription Revenue Split (Creator/Platform) | Additional Monetization Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kick | 95/5 | Flat rate from affiliate status; supports gambling sponsorships directly.[120][123] |
| Twitch | 50/50 (affiliates); up to 70/30 (top partners) | Tiered based on viewership milestones; ads and bits revenue also split.[120][123] |
| YouTube Gaming | 70/30 | Integrated with Super Chats and memberships; favors VOD integration over pure live.[121][124] |
