Kick is a relatively young livestreaming service that competes with Twitch. It hosts live video, channels, chat, subscriptions, donations, gifts and creator monetization. Its most prominent selling point is an advertised 95/5 subscription-revenue split for eligible creators, while its most persistent controversy is the platform’s comparatively permissive reputation and its close association with the founders of gambling company Stake.
Kick became internationally prominent in June 2023, when Félix “xQc” Lengyel announced a two-year, non-exclusive deal publicly reported as $70 million plus incentives that could bring the potential value to $100 million. Amouranth announced her move the next day. By 2026, Kick is better described as a young, established competitor than as a brand-new service.
What is Kick?
Kick.com is a live-video platform operated by Kick Streaming Pty Ltd. Viewers can browse channels, watch broadcasts, participate in live chat and support creators. Streamers use the service to broadcast games, commentary, entertainment and other live programming.
The website, mobile applications and related account systems form one Kick ecosystem. Individual streamers operate channels, viewers communicate through chatrooms and the platform offers several forms of financial support, including subscriptions, donations and Gifts. Kick’s Terms of Service describe a service where users connect with streamers and communicate through postings, chatrooms and related features: Kick Terms of Service.
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Kick competes most directly with Twitch, but it also overlaps with YouTube Live, TikTok LIVE and Facebook Live. It is not the same product as Stake, the online gambling company. However, reporting has closely associated Kick with Stake co-founders Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, a relationship that affects how advertisers, parents and viewers assess the platform.
Kick’s About page displays audience and platform figures, including “100 million users.” Those are company-reported figures rather than independently established audience measurements: Kick About.
Why did Kick suddenly become famous?
xQc’s June 2023 agreement
On June 16, 2023, xQc announced a two-year, non-exclusive agreement with Kick. Guinness World Records describes the deal as the largest individual esports-streaming deal recorded and reports a widely cited value of $70 million, with incentives potentially bringing the maximum value to $100 million: Guinness World Records.
“Non-exclusive” matters. It means the agreement did not necessarily prevent xQc from appearing on Twitch, YouTube or other services. The $100 million figure is a potential total including incentives, not a guaranteed payment to every creator or necessarily the guaranteed base value of the contract.
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Amouranth announced her move to Kick on June 17, 2023, roughly a day after xQc’s announcement. The timing made Kick look like a direct challenge to Twitch recruiting two of its best-known personalities in less than 48 hours. Her contract value was not publicly disclosed in the cited coverage, so claims about a specific payment should not be treated as established: PC Gamer.
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How does Kick pay streamers?
Subscriptions
Kick’s official Partner page advertises a 95/5 subscription split for eligible creators. In practical terms, Kick says the creator receives the large majority of eligible subscription revenue, but the figure does not mean a streamer keeps 95 percent of every payment connected with the channel. Taxes, payment processing, eligibility rules and the applicable creator terms still matter: Kick Partner Program.
Donations
Kick’s safety guidance says eligible streamers can receive 100 percent of donations. Donations are a separate category from subscriptions, Partner income, Gifts and KICKs; “100 percent of donations” should not be expanded into “100 percent of everything”: Kick streamer-safety guidance.
Partner income and multistreaming
The Kick Partner Program provides additional monetization for eligible channels. Kick’s current page says a channel must be verified before applying and that applicants must complete the About section, link relevant social accounts and follow Kick’s Terms of Service, Community Guidelines and DMCA policy.
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Kick supports multistreaming. Its Partner Terms warn that income can be calculated differently when a creator streams on multiple services and may be lower than income from exclusive streaming: Kick Partner Terms and Conditions. Exact audience, hours-watched and follower thresholds should be checked in the current application process rather than assumed from old guides.
Signing deals
Large creators may receive individually negotiated contracts, equity or performance incentives. xQc’s agreement is an exceptional example, not a normal signup offer. A creator’s contract compensation, subscription revenue, donations, KICKs, Gifts and Partner income are different revenue categories and should not be combined into one headline percentage.
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What are KICKs and Gifts?
KICKs are an on-platform digital currency or unit used to activate Gifts. Gifts can produce visual effects, acknowledgements or other platform interactions. The KICKs Usage Policy does not justify treating every KICK as cash or assuming that each unit has a fixed creator payout: KICKs Usage Policy.
Is Kick less moderated than Twitch?
Kick has cultivated a more permissive, creator-led image, so it is often described as “less moderated” than Twitch. That is a reputation and comparative characterization, not a statement that anything is allowed. Kick publishes written rules and can enforce them.
Its Community Guidelines prohibit or restrict, among other things:
- Hate speech, threats and direct attacks.
- Illegal activity and harmful or exploitative conduct.
- Sexual or sexually suggestive content in prohibited contexts.
- Excessive violence, doxxing and disclosure of personal information.
- Certain dangerous public interactions.
- Misleading synthetic media, including deceptive deepfakes or voice clones.
- Content involving minors that violates platform safeguards.
The guidelines say enforcement can consider context, creator intent, reaction, outcome, outside influences and channel history. They also describe zero tolerance for certain high-impact violations, including protection of minors and incitement of terrorism. Written rules show what the service prohibits; they do not by themselves establish how consistently every case is handled. Kick’s current guidelines state an update date of March 19, 2026: Kick Community Guidelines.
What does Stake have to do with Kick?
TechCrunch and PC Gamer have identified Stake co-founders Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani as central figures behind Kick. That association is a major reason critics view Kick as part of a broader gambling-oriented ecosystem. Kick and Stake should not, however, be described as literally identical businesses: Kick is legally operated by Kick Streaming Pty Ltd, while Stake is a separate gambling service.
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The connection matters for gambling exposure, age suitability, advertising and brand safety. It does not mean every Kick channel is gambling content or that every creator promotes gambling. Kick’s advertising policy requires advertisers to follow applicable law and platform guidelines and to disclose commercial relationships: Kick Advertising Policy.
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Policies, contracts and revenue terms change, so this is a current orientation rather than a permanent specification.
| Issue | Kick | Twitch |
|---|---|---|
| Core product | Live streaming, channels and chat | Live streaming, channels and chat |
| Creator economics | Kick advertises a 95/5 subscription split for eligible creators | Revenue terms vary by creator, contract and program |
| Partner monetization | Partner Program, subscriptions, donations and other tools | Affiliate and Partner systems plus other monetization |
| Moderation reputation | More permissive creator image, with written restrictions | Generally associated with more established enforcement and platform restrictions |
| Gambling association | Closely associated in reporting with Stake’s founders | Has imposed restrictions on some gambling content and sites |
| Multistreaming | Supported by the current Partner page; Partner income may be calculated differently | Must be assessed under current Twitch contracts and program rules |
| Audience | Young, growing platform with major creator-led traffic | Older and more established livestreaming ecosystem |
Can anyone stream on Kick?
Most users can create an account and begin setting up a channel, but monetization and Partner status have additional requirements. A practical starting path is:
- Create or sign in to a Kick account at Kick.
- Set up the channel profile and About section.
- Configure compatible broadcasting software or another supported workflow.
- Read the Terms of Service, Community Guidelines and DMCA requirements.
- Follow age, privacy, copyright and local-law requirements.
- Apply for verification or the Partner Program only after checking the current official criteria.
Kick’s Partner page confirms the application process and policy requirements, but permanent follower, viewing-hour and average-viewer thresholds should not be copied from unofficial guides without checking the current application interface.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Kick safe for viewers?
Adults
- Use a unique password and available account-security controls.
- Keep location, contact and financial information out of chat.
- Treat links, giveaways, gambling promotions and financial claims skeptically.
- Remember that live content can change faster than moderators or filters can respond.
Parents
Popularity does not make a channel automatically child-safe. Live chat, user-posted links and rapidly changing broadcasts can expose children to adult, gambling-related or disturbing material. Review channels together and use device-level parental controls where appropriate; platform rules cannot guarantee a child-safe viewing environment.
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Creators
- Use trusted moderators and protect identity and location information.
- Obtain permission before showing third parties.
- Follow copyright and music-licensing rules.
- Label paid promotions clearly.
- Prepare for harassment, doxxing, swatting and account compromise.
Kick’s safety guidance provides additional operational advice: How to stream safely on Kick.
Advertisers
Advertisers should evaluate audience age and geography, creator behavior, gambling and financial-risk adjacency, disclosure compliance, moderation controls and the reliability of campaign reporting. A platform-level reputation is not a substitute for reviewing the specific channel and campaign.
Should you use Kick?
For viewers
Kick may suit viewers whose favorite creators stream there and who are comfortable assessing content, chat and the Stake-related business association themselves. Twitch, YouTube Live or TikTok LIVE may be preferable if a viewer wants a larger established ecosystem, a particular accessibility or discovery feature, a different moderation environment or less gambling-associated branding.
For creators
Kick is most attractive when subscription economics, multistreaming or a creator-friendly contract matter and the streamer already has an audience to bring. A high revenue percentage does not create an audience, and exceptional signing deals do not predict ordinary earnings. Partner eligibility, performance, multistreaming rules, advertiser suitability and changing policies all affect the practical result.
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Creators should compare audience fit, discovery, copyright enforcement, moderation, brand safety and payment reliability—not just the advertised subscription split. Free software such as OBS Studio can handle broadcasting, while integrated commercial tools such as Streamlabs may appeal to creators who want guided overlays and alerts; neither is required to understand or join Kick.
Is Kick legitimate?
Kick is a functioning, commercially operated livestreaming platform with formal terms, safety policies and monetization programs. “Legitimate” does not mean risk-free or universally preferable. Creator earnings are not guaranteed, the 95/5 figure applies to eligible subscription revenue rather than every payment type, and the Stake association is an important part of the platform’s public history. Whether Kick is a better choice than Twitch depends on the creator’s audience, content, monetization needs, moderation tolerance and risk profile.
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