Previously only available to certain users, Twitch Watch Parties are now available to everyone globally.
With Watch Parties, streamers can stream movies and TV shows so they can watch, react to, and discuss them with their viewers.
Watch Parties allow Twitch creators to stream movies and TV shows from the Amazon Prime Video catalog.
When enabled, the entire video player is taken over by the media, with the streamer's webcam appearing separately on the right of the screen. As usual, viewers can then interact with the streamer and each other in chat, donating bits and subscriptions.
Watch Parties are not a new concept. In fact, Amazon already has its own Watch Party feature, and you can also host a Hulu Watch Party.
However, some Twitch broadcasters regularly attract tens of thousands of viewers, so this could be a very lucrative way for Amazon to advertise its streaming content.
Twitch Watch Parties began in October 2019 with a select group of beta testers. It then rolled out to those in the United States. Now, Watch Parties can be used by anyone who uses Twitch around the world.
To host or join Watch Parties, you must have an active Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription.
Also, because Amazon's content varies from region to region, you won't be able to join a stream if it's showing something that's generally inaccessible to you.
Currently, Twitch Watch Parties are only available on desktop, but Twitch is working on a mobile version that should be available in the coming months.
For technical information on setting up and using Watch Parties, visit the Twitch Watch Parties Help Page.
With many of us stuck indoors due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, watch parties are a great way to get that community viewing experience virtually. And Twitch makes the most of it.
If you don't subscribe to Amazon Prime and therefore can't use Twitch Watch Parties, you might want to try a free alternative, like the one offered by Facebook.
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