So what happened? Why did this rumored Google deal fall through? Did the rumors have it all wrong?
That isn’t to say Google didn’t try to strike a deal amidst antitrust concerns; they just couldn’t come up with a suitable “breakup deal” if the government found the union unlawful. Who would get what if the acquisition fell apart shortly after its announcement?
Obviously, those antitrust concerns stemmed from the fact that Google also happens to own YouTube, Twitch’s major competitor in the online streaming space. With both of those services wrapped up in a single company, Google would ostensibly have the gameplay streaming and Let’s Play market all cornered up. They might have also formed a pretty significant trust.
About a year ago, gamers might have seen a partnership between YouTube and Twitch as a good thing, but the recent copyright crackdowns by both services has drawn considerable concerns. Both sites have now taken strong stances against licensed music, even going so far as to block out whole sections of videos or even deleting them altogether.
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Source: Forbes
