After receiving pushback from advertisers and viewers on hot
tub streams, live streaming service Twitch has decided to launch a separate
category for the streams. The platform has named the category “Pools, Hot Tubs,
and Beaches”.
The new Twitch category is meant to let creators stream what
they want and also offer advertisers an easier way to stop ads from running on
streams that they don’t approve of.
Earlier this week, what Twitch called a mistake, led to ad suspension for some hot tub streamers without warning. The company later revealed that it is now working with creators to “restore ads where appropriate.”
Twitch also confirmed that its policies regarding the content
allowed and content not allowed on its platform are not going to be changed. For
instance, sexually suggestive content will remain banned, while context-appropriate
clothing, like bathing suits in a pool, will be allowed. “Being found to be
sexy by others is not against our rules, and Twitch will not take enforcement
action against women, or anyone on our service, for their perceived
attractiveness,” Twitch clarified in a blogpost.
While Twitch allows streaming of “sexy” content, it still
pulls streams of women with such content out of the popular “Just Chatting”
section and moves it into the hot tub section, as Hot tub female streamers
often receive sexual harassment from men. The company made it clear that “no
one deserves to be harassed for the content they choose to stream.”
Twitch believes that introducing a new category is not a long-term
solution to giving advertisers more control over what streams their ads run on,
it still serves as a short-term solution, as it allows viewers to avoid hot tub
content, while also giving creators a place to continue streaming it.
