Estate planning as a Twitch account holder

Twitch is the dominant livestreaming platform (owned by Amazon) where streamers earn revenue through subscriptions (50/50 standard split; up to 70/30 for Partner Plus members), Bits ($0.01 per Bit), and ads. A Twitch account holds the channel, follower base, subscriber revenue, accumulated earnings, VODs, and clips. Twitch is notably more estate-friendly than other social media platforms: it has a formal deceased account process, will contact the estate about remaining payouts, and "may consider" transferring the account to a person named in the will. However, Bits (viewer virtual currency) and Channel Points are explicitly worthless and forfeited on termination.

After a Twitch account holder dies, Twitch Interactive, Inc. (Amazon) may transfer accounts to a designated recipient, but this is handled case by case. The outcome depends on the documentation provided and is entirely at Twitch Interactive, Inc. (Amazon)'s discretion.

What happens at death

Twitch has a formal deceased account process documented in a dedicated help article. Family members or estate representatives can request account deactivation or deletion. Twitch will contact the "trustee, personal representative, or loved one with instructions on how to collect any remaining payouts." If a designated person is specified in the deceased user's will or estate plan, Twitch "may consider" transferring the account to that individual -- this is discretionary, not guaranteed. The TOS states: "you may not sell, rent, lease, transfer, share, or provide access to your account to anyone else." The Monetized Streamer Agreement prohibits assignment "by operation of law or otherwise" without Twitch's "express prior written approval." Deactivation is reversible; deletion is permanent.

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