Facebook Gaming’s $2,500 Signing Bonus Has a 90-Day NDA Catch
Facebook Gaming sees an opportunity to gain ground on Amazon's Twitch while MIxer bites the dust. Will it succeed? | Source: AP Photo/Martin Meissner
- Facebook Gaming is reportedly offering thousands of dollars to Mixer partners to move to its streaming platform.
- However, partners who move to Facebook Gaming must sign a non-disclosure agreement.
- Streamers must also complete “obligations” as part of their deal with Facebook’s streaming platform.
Anonymous sources have revealed that Facebook Gaming is offering a one-time payment of $2,500 to any Mixer Partner who joins the Facebook Gaming Creator Program. This week, Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced that Mixer will be shut down and that it will be helping to move the community to Facebook Gaming.
Mixer Streamers Must Sign an NDA to Join Facebook Gaming
While the $2,500 payday may sound like a cushy deal for Mixer streamers blindsided by the shut down of their platform, there is a catch.
Those who take the offer must stay on Facebook Gaming for 90 days and must “fulfil obligations”. The obligations haven’t been officially confirmed. Twitch streamer ShannonZKiller speculated that there may be minimum viewership averages and a minimum number of hours streamed each month.
Mixer Partners who move from Mixer to Facebook’s platform must also sign a non-disclosure agreement. This NDA, also revealed by Slasher, prevents streamers from discussing anything relating to Facebook’s business. That includes marketing plans, that $2,500 bonus, and the NDA itself.
Keeping Popular Streamers from Leaving
The rules attached to joining the Facebook Gaming Creator Program are telling. They’re designed to stop streamers trying out Facebook Gaming before jumping ship for a better offer. Facebook failed to get Ninja and Shroud to extend their exclusivity deals and the company won’t want to lose any more Mixer talent.
There are also huge questions about where Ninja and Shroud will go next. The two streamers are among the most popular and could potentially join YouTube, Caffeine or any one of the other game streaming platforms. Where they go, other creators are likely to follow.
However, the platform’s conditions mean that they’ll be able to hold onto skittish streamers for three months longer.
The NDA though could be a huge concern as it could shield Facebook from streamer criticism about the way that it does business.
There have been several streaming scandals this week. First, the allegations of racial discrimination at Mixer to allegations that Twitch dismisses complaints about sexual harassment. Signing this NDA could potentially leave streamers open to litigation if they go public with their complaints.
