The Rise and Fall of Trovo: A Six-Year Streaming Journey

Most streaming platforms die quietly — they simply stop updating until the audience disperses on its own. Trovo died loudly: with an official announcement, a wave of community reactions, and a sense of an unfinished story. The platform, which entered the market in 2020 with ambitions to be Twitch's main competitor, ceased streaming on June 30, 2026 — exactly six years after its launch. This is not a story of failure. This is a story about how the streaming market works, why money and technology don't always overcome audience inertia — and what streamers building careers now should learn from it all.

How the Trovo Platform Emerged: Tencent Bets on the West

The story of Trovo's creation doesn't begin in 2020 — or even from scratch. Before its rebranding, the platform existed under the name Madcat and was developed within the structures of Tencent Games — a Chinese technology conglomerate that owns stakes in Riot Games, Epic Games, and dozens of other gaming companies.

Tencent had long understood the mechanics of streaming: in China, the company controlled Douyu and Huya — the country's two largest streaming platforms. But the Chinese market and the Western market are fundamentally different ecosystems. Douyu and Huya were built on mobile donations, mini-games, and virtual gifts. Twitch grew on a desktop gaming community, subscriptions, and chat culture. Tencent wanted to transfer its model to the Western market — and in March 2020, it began quiet testing of a new platform called Trovo Live in the USA.

The official global launch took place in June 2020. The timing was chosen deliberately: the pandemic pushed millions of people towards online entertainment, streaming was growing at a record pace, and Twitch and YouTube Gaming were dividing the market without a real third player. Trovo entered a window of opportunity.

Trovo in 2020: Start and Early Successes

Trovo's launch in 2020 was accompanied by an aggressive partner program with a budget of 30 million dollars. The platform offered streamers conditions that Twitch would never approve: a higher share of subscriptions, accelerated monetization, and payments to new partners from the very start of their channels.

The promotion algorithm on Trovo was fundamentally different. Twitch in 2020 was already suffering from the long-tail problem: it was almost impossible for small streamers to get into recommendations without an existing audience. Trovo deliberately promoted small channels — a new streamer with zero subscribers could appear on the main page and get organic growth. For the streaming community, tired of being invisible on Twitch, this was a real argument.

By the end of 2020, the platform had gained its first significant audience. Among the early categories, mobile games dominated — naturally, given Tencent's roots in mobile gaming. The Russian-speaking segment was among the first active language communities: domestic streamers are traditionally mobile in terms of platforms and quickly react to new monetization opportunities.

The Trovo 500 Program: How the Platform Retained Streamers

One of the key tools for retaining streamers was the Trovo 500 program — a system of monthly incentives for active content creators. The mechanics were simple and clear: the platform selected the top 500 streamers by activity each month and paid them a guaranteed bonus on top of standard monetization.

The program was divided into ranks — from Bronze to Diamond — with different entry thresholds and payout sizes. The basic level assumed 10,000 hours of viewership per month and a payment of 200 dollars above standard income. Top ranks offered significantly more. For a streamer with a small audience who would get nothing on Twitch, this was a real financial motivation to continue streaming specifically on Trovo.

Trovo 500 solved several problems simultaneously: it retained active streamers, created predictable income for the community, and built the platform's reputation as one that pays. During 2021–2022, the program was actively discussed in streamer communities as a viable alternative to Twitch partnership — especially for those who did not meet affiliate requirements.

Trovo vs. Twitch: Why the Competitor Didn't Win

The history of Trovo's competition with Twitch is not a story of a single battle. It's a series of rounds in which Trovo gained individual advantages but invariably lost the main thing: audience inertia.

Trovo offered streamers objectively better financial conditions. But viewers go where there are already viewers. Large streamers stayed on Twitch not because they were paid better there — but because their audience was there. Moving to Trovo meant starting from scratch in terms of reach, even with a loyal base on the old platform.

By 2021, Twitch had a multi-year archive of cultural memes, historical streams, and traditions. Trovo was a blank slate — technically modern, but devoid of history. Viewers come not only for content but also for the atmosphere. Atmosphere is not created by money.

Tencent's roots in mobile gaming determined Trovo's focus: the platform actively developed mobile categories and mini-games. For some of the audience, this was an advantage. For the core of streaming culture — desktop gamers — it signaled that Trovo was different.

Small streamers indeed grew faster on Trovo due to the algorithm. But few managed to convert this growth into a stable audience: viewers who came through recommendations did not necessarily become regulars. By 2023–2024, the gap between the platforms in total viewing hours became statistically obvious. Trovo occupied a niche, but not the market.