YouTube is currently in talks to acquire Twitch.tv, what is arguably the premiere video game streaming service, for an all cash deal totaling $1 Billion, according to a report from Variety, which alleges that the finalization of the deal is imminent.
Reports indicate that YouTube is preparing for a seemingly inevitable challenge posed by U.S. regulators over the deal however. With YouTube being the world’s most popular video streaming service, its not unlikely that the company may face opposition from the Justice Department as they determine whether or not buying Twitch would create anti-competitive issues in the online video market.
How the acquisition would affect the function of Twitch, it’s autonomy and it’s day-to-day remain to be seen, although all signs point to some hard integration of game-streaming services into YouTube’s primary product. We’ll know for sure once the deal is finalized.
Source: Variety, The Wall Street Journal
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