Twitch residents have been debating over “hot tub streams” and whether they’re allowed on the platform in recent months. Now, the company has made its stance known and added a dedicated category for them.
Twitch’s Acceptance of Hot Tub Streams
In case you haven’t dug deep into the world of Twitch, a “hot tub stream” involves scantily-clad people talking to the chat while hanging out in a hot tub.
They began to rise in popularity after Twitch began releasing its grip on non-gaming content. The platform used to be dedicated to only games, with outliers being removed from the platform. However, the company then opened the doors to more non-gaming content.
At the start, Twitch allowed art and “just chatting” streams, the latter of which let streamers hang out and talk with their chat without having to play a video game. These non-gaming categories began to flourish and more were added, including one dedicated to people sleeping on-stream.
Hot tub streams began their life in the “just chatting” category. They didn’t break any of Twitch’s rules; the streamer would be hanging in their hot tub, dressed as little as they could to avoid a ban, and chatting with visitors.
While it was all by the book in Twitch’s eyes, the community was divided over them. Some of them saw hot tub streams as harmless fun, while others accused them of degrading Twitch to a softcore stream hub.
Now, on the Twitch Blog, the streaming giant has made its stance known. Not only that, but it has marked the occasion with an official category for hot tub streams.
As the company puts it:
Under our current Nudity & Attire and Sexually Suggestive Content policies, streamers may appear in swimwear in contextually appropriate situations (at the beach, in a hot tub, for example)
The company is quick to add that nudity and sexually explicit content are not allowed, but as long as the hot tub streamer keeps things above the belt, they’re allowed and encouraged to stream on Twitch.
Content creators interested in streaming such content can now do so under the Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches category. However, streamers cannot stream in other categories if they plan to appear live in Twitch-friendly swimwear.
Interestingly, Twitch says that this category allows advertisers to avoid—or even target—this particular kind of content. As such, we’ll have to see how the advertising will change for hot tub streamers and the revenue they’ll earn as a result.
Come On In, the Water’s Lovely
After the rise of hot tub streaming caused a community divide, Twitch has made its official stance known. Now hot tub streamers can relax knowing that they won’t get banned for their content.
Twitch has recently been working hard to improve the lives of specific users. For instance, it announced that it would adjust subscription prices to each country’s standard of living, instead of a straight conversion from $ 4.99 USD.
