Amazon Completes Twitch Purchase

Amazon's acquisition of the video game streaming service Twitch is now officially complete, according to a new SEC filing.

First revealed in late August, the deal had Amazon purchase all outstanding shares of Twitch for roughly $970 million in cash. This after reports earlier in the year that Google—through its YouTube subsidiary—would acquire the company for similar amount.

In a message addressed to the Twitch community, CEO Emmett Shear wrote, "We chose Amazon because they believe in our community, they share our values and long-term vision, and they want to help us get there faster. We're keeping most everything the same: our office, our employees, our brand, and most importantly our independence. But with Amazon's support we'll have the resources to bring you an even better Twitch."

The day after the deal was announced, vice president of Amazon Games Michael Frazzini said that "Twitch is absolutely doing a great job and we don't want to change that at all."

Twitch is the largest live-streaming website in the United States by a wide margin, according to a report released this spring, and has expanded into non-gaming ventures, like streaming concerts. That position coincides with Amazon's recent push into the game industry. Earlier this year, it hired designers who worked on Portal and Far Cry, and purchased Killer Instinct developer Double Helix Games.