The ability forWWE’s stars to stream on Twitch has been a touch-and-go issue for several years due to changing policies about the streaming platform behind the scenes, but a new deal with Twitch cements wrestlers' ability to interact with fans directly on the platform going forward. It cements a change from the last few years when, beforeVince McMahonstepping down in 2022, wrestlers were unable to continue using third-party platforms such as Twitch and Cameo for additional income. While things began to soften after McMahon’s temporary retirement, the new deal officially reopens those doors for wrestlers to take advantage of going forward.
Before the 2020 restrictions, multipleWWEwrestlers regularly streamed on Twitch when away from the ring to either talk with fans directly or share their love of games. AJ Styles, Claudio Castagnoli, Dakota Kai, Zelina Vega, and Xavier Woods were just a few of the stars who viewers could find live on Twitch at any given time, with Woods using the platform to continue growing YouTube channel UpUpDownDown. However, this was halted in 2020 when the company effectively barred wrestlers from using Twitch, Cameo, and other third-party platforms under their ring-names, leading to reported frustration among the roster as this was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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According to Fightful Select, via Comicbook.com, wrestlers will once again be able to take advantage of Twitch after the company inked a new deal. The deal will reportedly allow wrestlers to stream on Twitch “with almost no restrictions,” though WWE wrestlers will need to get permission to stream with wrestlers currently working for other promotions. While this may not be a major hurdle for most WWE wrestlers streaming on Twitch, Xavier Woods may no longer be able to host “Da Party” streams featuring Tyler Breeze, Claudio Castagnoli, andAdam Coledue to the latter two currently working for AEW.
The second notable part of the deal is a new revenue split going forward between Twitch, WWE, and the wrestlers. It appears the split will be more of a formality as WWE will reportedly only take a small cut, while a majority of the revenue will go to Twitch and wrestlers as it would under Twitch’s current revenue splits with streamers. Despite WWE taking a small cut of the revenue, talent were reportedly happy with the deal as a whole as some, such asDakota Kai, had already started streaming on Twitch again ahead of news on the deal.
News of the deal also raises questions about what other opportunities may open up to WWE wrestlers followingWWE’s merger with UFCunder the UFC’s parent company Endeavor. At its core, Endeavor is a talent agency with links to nearly every major professional sports organization, fashion brands, and entertainment entities in the world. It would not be surprising to see WWE’s roster receive more opportunities outside the promotion once the merger is complete, though only time will tell how this pans out for the talent.
