Two major Twitch streamers have been banned for streaming animated content on their respective channels for the second time in as many days.
Pokimane was banned from the platform for 48 hours after airing Avatar: The Last Airbender, while Disguised Toast was banned for a month after airing the hit anime Death Note.
While video game streaming is the norm on Twitch, it is not uncommon for these streamers to entertain their viewers with other activities.
It’s important to keep things fresh for the viewers, whether it’s reacting to popular videos online or just having a chill IRL stream, especially when both Pokimane and Disguised Toaster have millions of followers.
The two streamers were hit with a DMCA violation for streaming unlicensed content, which came as no surprise. However, it’s encouraging to see that even Twitch’s biggest streamers are subject to the platform’s rules and regulations.
That being said, how can a Twitch streamer watch anime or any other TV show or movie with their audience?
The short answer is no unless you own the rights to a show or have a special relationship with the show’s publisher.
Organizing Watch Parties on Twitch, which requires an Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription, is one-way streamers can get around this. Of course, this is limited to the shows available on the platform, but it is still a legal way to do so.
The truth is that the best way for a streamer to watch something with their viewers is to use a service like Discord or Tenami instead of Twitch. It’s not quite the same as watching your favorite streamer react to something, but it does help to foster a closer community.
It’s not the best solution because it takes a streamer and their audience away from Twitch. However, it is currently the most feasible option. With all of the copyright laws in place around the world, as well as the restrictions that come with streaming TV shows and movies, a better solution may be required.
Maybe streamers like Pokimane and Disguised Toast will be able to watch entire seasons of anime with their fans entirely on Twitch in the future, but for now, it’s just a pipe dream.
