The Twitch Dating Show Experiment Will Be a Colossal Cringe-Fest
Hasn't the race-to-the-bottom in reality TV already jumped the shark? Why not generate some unique gaming-centric ideas that bring something new to the table? | Source: REUTERS/Mike Blake
- Twitch is expanding into reality TV.
- It’s hard to see this going any way but disastrously.
- We want to watch games on Twitch, not reality TV drivel.
Twitch is known for gaming. Valorant, Overwatch, Fortnite, and Rocket League players, among others, have made the live-streaming platform their home. That’s all about to change.
Because Twitch isn’t happy with being the go-to platform for gaming personalities. For some bizarre reason, it’s eyeing an expansion into reality TV.
“Original” Twitch Content Sounds Hella Cringey
According to Bloomberg , the streaming platform plans to pollute their brand with “original, unscripted series” in the dating show, game show, and music genres.
Essentially, they’re plotting their own demise. And when they go down, they plan to do it in a blaze of Bachelor knock-offs.
So bid farewell to Fortnite.
And say hello to an unrelenting stream of dating show cringe:
Sure, trash TV has never been hotter. Everyone is stuck at home, and Twitch is trying to expand its audience.
I just wish it could find a way to grow its platform without dumpster-diving into the toxic wastebin of reality television. Given the choice, I’d happily grind away for hours at the most soulless of MMOs rather than watch a single episode of dating show drivel. Why bring it to Twitch at all?
And why pay so much to sully your brand? The platform claims it will spend between $50,000 and $250,000 weekly to produce up to 10 hours of this crap.
Doesn’t Twitch Have Enough Drama Already?
Make no mistake, the foray into reality TV is a big divergence from the talk shows that have made the Just Chatting section so popular. Many creators host podcasts on Twitch, and the platform serves as a wonderful place for artists to keep an income going.
Twitch claims it isn’t abandoning its core audience, but it shouldn’t expect this support to translate to the dating series genre. Honestly, who wants to watch contrived shows about gamers trying to fall in love? I’m on here to watch gamers playing something.
Besides, hasn’t the race-to-the-bottom in reality TV already jumped the shark? Why not generate some unique gaming-centric ideas that bring something new to the table?
I’d love to see content that gets parents interacting with their kids, for example. Or events where top streamers compete with smaller ones. That would bring more people to Twitch and increase engagement.
Everything the platform is going for can be achieved without reality TV. YouTube’s original content is a colossal cringe-fest , and I’m guessing Twitch’s will be, too.
Twitch already has enough unnecessary drama as it is.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
