Twitch and politics connection grows

NEW YORK - It's Twitch: The world's leading live platform for gamers. It's home to millions of users who log in to watch other people talk and play video games. 

The most popular streamers can earn millions of dollars in advertisements and endorsements.

It is now also proving to be a disruptor in another unexpected way with the Call of Duty crowd finding their political voice.

In addition to its robust gaming section, Twitch has a growing "politics" platform.

Users like "Hutch," known for playing first-person shooter games, also lead political debates on his channel. He's followed by several hundred thousand users.

Bronx Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is also an avid gamer. Her streams give her a direct line of communication to her 800,000 followers. They don't just watch her play because she also leads discussions about issues and last October there was even a "get out the vote" campaign while playing Pokeman.

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Some experts believe Twitch is emerging as a potential game-changer for the 2020s like Twitter and Facebook reshaped politics in the 2010s.

"It's a lot more organic," said Imad Khan, a news editor with Tom's Guide who has tracked the rise of the nongaming section of Twitch's site.

He says the platform is particularly appealing to the next generation of voters who have grown up, more than ever, on the screens of their personal devices.

"There's constant back and forth between a never-ending chat window. They are moderators and the streamers constantly interact with them," Khan said. "So it is a much more organic live conversation whether it's the person streaming — whether it's a top video game player or AOC and the people in the chat."