Twitch nabs $20 million in funding as viewership grows and new hardware looms

By Adam Rosenberg September 30, 2013

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Twitch is set to grow with the fresh influx of $20 million in funding from a group of Series C (third round) investors that includes Grand Theft Auto V publisher Take-Two Interactive along with established venture capitalists Thrive Capital (Kickstarter) and WestWood Capital (Unity Technologies). The specific breakdown of which investors provided how much isn’t specified in the press release.

The investment in Twitch comes with the news that the gamer-facing video streaming service is now up to 45 million unique viewers monthly, a staggeringly high figure. The fresh influx of cash will allow the two-year-old company to further grow both its infrastructure and its sales team. A stronger infrastructure means that Twitch will be better prepared for the influx of new users that share-friendly PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles will bring later in 2013. Increasing the size of the sales team will only help to grow the service’s visibility beyond its already impressive (and growing) base of monthly visitors.

“Gamers today have a healthy appetite for both producing and consuming live video game content, so it’s vital that we’re not only keeping pace with them, but staying one step ahead,” Twitch Chief Operating Officer Kevin Lin said in a prepared statement. “With the investments from Thrive Capital, WestSummit Capital, and Take-Two Interactive, it ensures we can more effectively grow and tap into new markets.”

The announcement also notes that the investment will allow Twitch to “continue iterating on its core product, expand its global delivery infrastructure, enhance its quality of service, and grow its partnership network with the world’s largest game publishers and platforms.”

Topics

PC Gaming

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

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