Video game streaming platform Twitch today announced the upcoming addition of native mobile livestreaming within its app.
The announcement comes concurrent with the platform’s addition of a new “IRL” content category, which Twitch described as being “designed to both enable and encourage Twitch’s creators to step outside of their traditional gameplay content, and share content captured from their everyday lives.”
Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, said the category came about following feedback from its creator communities, who wanted more ways to interact with viewers outside of gameplay videos.
“We’re amazed by our creators who build thriving communities and create compelling content for millions of viewers,” said Emmett Shear, CEO of Twitch, in a statement. “While gaming is their core identity, what we’ve heard repeatedly from them is that they are interested in sharing their everyday lives, thoughts and opinions with their communities. IRL is designed to help our creators foster that kind of community interaction.”
Twitch said it changed up its community guidelines to specifically allow the broadcasting of non-gaming content. Twitch is promising to add native streaming to the Twitch mobile app in 2017 and allow users to go live directly from their phone’s camera.
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Besides new efforts to encourage new content styles from its creator community, Twitch has been exploring other programming efforts for its platform.
Al Roker’s online livestreaming network Roker Media is producing a new show for the platform called ChefShock, starring Justin Warner, winner of season eight of Food Network Star. The show, a live cooking show that runs for two hours and airs daily, was created and launched in only two weeks, according to Roker.