Pokimane Explains Why She Declined YouTube’s Huge Offer to Remain on Twitch

In a recent appearance on the Sweet ‘n’ Sour podcast with LilyPichu, Pokimane opened up about turning down a “life-changing” offer from YouTube, which would have marked a major shift in her streaming career. Imane Anys, better known as Pokimane, shared the behind-the-scenes details of why she chose to stay with Twitch, despite the tempting offer from YouTube.

The offer from YouTube, presented in early 2024, was described by Pokimane as exceptionally generous. “The financial offer was so significant that I honestly didn’t think I’d ever see something like that again,” she admitted. However, Twitch initially responded with a counteroffer that was significantly less attractive. This put Pokimane in a challenging position, forcing her to weigh the benefits of the lucrative YouTube deal against her loyalty to Twitch.

Topic starts at 44:00 minutes into the video.

Determined to stay with Twitch, Pokimane took a bold step by asking her agent to directly contact a high-ranking Twitch executive. This move led to a successful negotiation where Twitch agreed to match YouTube’s offer, a development that ultimately influenced her decision to remain with the platform.

Even after Twitch matched YouTube’s terms, the situation took another turn when YouTube attempted to improve their offer further. Pokimane, however, chose to uphold her commitment to Twitch. “I was very focused on maintaining my integrity,” she explained. “I had already given my word to Twitch, and I didn’t want to go back on that.”

As of January 2024, Pokimane is no longer exclusively tied to Twitch.