Amazon to Buy Twitch Instead Of Google (Update)

UPDATE: Editor’s note: Twitch has confirmed that they have been acquired by Amazon, worth roughly $970 million, with a letter from the CEO. (formatted by me)

"Dear Twitch Community,It’s almost unbelievable that slightly more than 3 years ago, Twitch didn’t exist. The moment we launched, we knew we had stumbled across something special. But what followed surprised us as much as anyone else, and the impact it’s had on both the community and us has been truly profound. Your talent, your passion, your dedication to gaming, your memes, your brilliance – these have made Twitch what it is today.Every day, we strive to live up to the standard set by you, the community. We want to create the very best place to share your gaming and life online, and that mission continues to guide us. Together with you, we’ve found new ways of connecting developers and publishers with their fans. We’ve created a whole new kind of career that lets people make a living sharing their love of games. We’ve brought billions of hours of entertainment, laughter, joy and the occasional ragequit. I think we can all call that a pretty good start.Today, I’m pleased to announce we’ve been acquired by Amazon. 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. I personally want to thank you, each and every member of the Twitch community, for what you’ve created. Thank you for putting your faith in us. Thank you for sticking with us through growing pains and stumbles. Thank you for bringing your very best to us and sharing it with the world. Thank you, from a group of gamers who never dreamed they’d get to help shape the face of the industry that we love so much. It’s dangerous to go alone. On behalf of myself and everyone else at Twitch, thank you for coming with us. Emmett Shear, CEO"

ORIGINAL: When news broke that Google was looking to buy Twitch for $1 billion, many gamers were in total disbelief. Shortly after, Twitch put in place a strong content policy, muting copyrighted music not unlike a prior YouTube campaign. But that may have all been the leadup to the most recent announcement: that Amazon, and not Google, may step up to buy Twitch instead. This unprecedented move has been reported by multiple reputable sources, including Gizmodo and Business Insider, noting the sale could go for well over the $1 billion originally quoted in the Google deal mentioned earlier this year.