What Happened to Kick (streaming platform)?

Kick, officially known as Kick Streaming Pty Ltd, was founded in December 2022 by Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, with backing from the online casino company Stake and streaming personality Trainwreckstv. The platform was conceived as a direct competitor to Twitch, aiming to disrupt the live streaming market by offering a significantly more attractive revenue split of 95% for streamers, compared to Twitch's typical 50/50 split. This creator-first approach, coupled with initially looser content moderation policies, quickly drew attention and a wave of prominent streamers from rival platforms.

From its inception, Kick's close ties to Stake.com, an online crypto casino, have been a central point of both its appeal and its controversies. The founders of Kick are also the founders of Stake, and both entities operate from the same headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. This connection led to Kick becoming a hub for online gambling content, especially after Twitch banned certain gambling streams in late 2022. While this attracted a specific audience, it also raised concerns about promoting gambling, particularly to underage viewers.

Throughout 2023 and 2024, Kick experienced explosive growth, fueled by high-profile signings such as xQc and Amouranth, who were reportedly offered multi-million dollar non-exclusive contracts. By March 2025, the platform recorded over 317 million hours watched and boasted 57 million total users. However, this rapid expansion was often accompanied by criticism regarding its content moderation, with accusations of tolerating sexual harassment, hate speech, and even illegal activities on streams. The platform was perceived by many as a 'wild west' where banned Twitch streamers could continue controversial content.

In response to growing scrutiny and specific incidents, Kick began to evolve its policies. In late 2024, it implemented changes to its gambling policies, requiring streams only from sites with ID verification for users over 18, effective February 1, 2025. Further, in March 2025, Kick removed the partner program payout for streamers in the Slots & Casino category, signaling a shift in its monetization strategy away from direct support for gambling content creators.

A significant turning point occurred in August 2025 with the live death of streamer Jean Pormanove, which led to a judicial investigation in France and official concern from the French government. This incident, coupled with ongoing moderation challenges, prompted Kick to undertake a major overhaul of its community guidelines. On March 19, 2026, Kick issued a comprehensive update, streamlining its rules, introducing a 'Context and Intent' evaluation framework for moderation, and explicitly strengthening policies around personal safety, self-harm, and minor protection. It also formally permitted AI-driven content with strict disclosure rules.

As of April 2026, Kick continues its aggressive growth trajectory, announcing it had reached 100 million users. Co-founder Bijan Tehrani revealed that he and Ed Craven have personally invested nearly $1 billion into the platform since its inception, acknowledging past shortcomings in infrastructure and pledging a rebuild of the mobile app and a new discovery algorithm to combat viewbotting. Kick has also diversified its brand through high-profile sponsorships, including the Sauber Formula 1 team (Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber) and partnerships with the UFC and ESL FACEIT Group for esports content, solidifying its position as a major player in the global live streaming landscape.