Calling all Twitch.tv viewers and Amazon shoppers! 

In August of 2014, Amazon announced that it would be buying Twitch.tv for $970 million. This announcement was met with a mixed reaction from the Twitch fanbase, while they wondered what exactly would change and what Amazon would do to improve the site. Well, probably the most noticeable change that Amazon has made was just announced; Twitch Prime. 

Twitch Prime is a new feature for Amazon Prime and Amazon Prime Student members that will net you ad-free Twitch.tv viewing, exclusive emotes, an exclusive chat badge (a nice fancy crown just for you! .. and other Twitch Prime members), one free channel subscription every month, and monthly gaming loot like in-game items and free video games. This of course adds to the ever growing lists of benefits that Amazon Prime will already get you, like Amazon Instant Video, Kindle Lending Library, free two-day shipping, exclusive deals, Prime Music, Prime Photos, and a 20% discount on video game pre-orders and newly released games within two weeks of being released. As for the aforementioned monthly gaming loot, this month will give you the new indie game Streamline, the newest Hearthstone hero Tyrande Whisperwind, and for a limited time (until 10/13) the exclusive Twitch.tv skin for the SMITE hero Ymir, and the Twitch.tv bomb king weapon skin in Paladins. 

For those of you who are new to Amazon Prime Student and are still in the six-month trial period like I am, you will still have access to all the benefits of Twitch Prime except for the monthly subscription to a Twitch.tv channel. You will get one free subscription to a channel, but will not receive a monthly one until you actually start paying for your Prime membership.

The announcement of Twitch Prime left many people curious as to what will happen to Twitch Turbo, and fortunately, we have the answer. In countries where Amazon Prime (and by extension, Twitch Prime) are not available, Twitch Turbo will not be affected. However, in countries where you can get Twitch Prime, Twitch Turbo will stop being available for purchase. That being said, people who already have Twitch Turbo and don’t want to make the upgrade to Twitch Prime, you will be grandfathered in and your Twitch Turbo membership will not be affected.

Interested in Twitch Prime or already have Amazon Prime and want to receive your new benefits? Click here!

Written by Nerd Bacon