Chinese megacorporation Tencent Holdings Ltd. has launched Trovo Live, a streaming service that the company has been testing in the US market since March.
With Microsoft pulling the plug on its ill-fated streaming service Mixer, Amazon's Twitch is back to dominating the Western gaming and streaming market. Although Trovo's viewership is nothing compared to Twitch's audience--due in no small part to the fact that Trovo is still in its beta phase--it's looking to change that with a massive cash incentive. Trovo recently announced a Creator Partnership Program, which will reward streamers with a total sum of $30 million over the course of 18 months
The program will kick off in July, and streamers who run high-quality broadcasts, have over 50 followers, and meet certain minimum watch hour requirements are encouraged to apply to Trovo 500. While a select few broadcasters are set to make over $5,000 a month, bottom-tier streamers still stand to rake in $600 through the program.
Does Trovo's website seem familiar? It should. The platform is basically a recolored Twitch. From the carousel advertising popular streamers on the left side of the screen to the channel suggestion banner below the live stream feed, Trovo Live has lifted most of Twitch’s most recognizable design elements for itself and made them Baja Blast green.
Beyond surface appearances, Trovo's income model is also very similar to Twitch's. The streaming service offers creators a chance to earn money through paid subscriptions and Elixir, the platform's digital tip currency. What’s particularly incentivizing is that Trovo 500 does not require exclusivity. Streamers can be a part of the program and broadcast on other platforms besides Trovo.
Trovo and its Creator Partnership Program might come as a godsend to streamers seeking a new platform after being displaced by Mixer’s cancellation. Trovo’s $30 million incentive might be particularly alluring to big-time streamers like Ninja, who signed a contract with Mixer prior to the platform’s spectacular shutdown.
Trovo’s link to Tencent requires some digging. While Trovo is an affiliate of Tencent and says as much in its Terms of Service, it has not explicitly stated that it is a Tencent property. However, Trovo’s contact address is the same as Tencent’s American headquarters in Palo Alto, California, which is indicative of a deeper connection beyond affiliates.