Twitch Expands Watch Party Feature So More Users Can Watch Amazon Prime Video Content

Twitch's Watch Party feature is being expanded to allow more content creators and their followers to watch Amazon Prime Video content and Amazon Originals with plans to expand the feature even more soon, Twitch announced this week. The Amazon-owned streaming platform previously tested Watch Parties on Twitch last October when it allowed select content creators to host events with their followers where they watched TV shows and movies together. Because of the "time of uncertainty" surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon and Twitch have decided to open the feature up to all Twitch Partners with more people getting access to it in the next few weeks.

As the name suggests, Watch Parties allowed content creators who were already included in the program to share Amazon Prime Video content with their followers, though the people watching the content alongside the streamers had to be Amazon Prime subscribers themselves. That part of the deal isn't changing, but the fact that the program is being opened to more streamers means you may soon be able to watch your favorite shows alongside your favorite streamers.

"During this time of uncertainty, we know how valuable shared experiences like Watch Parties are to our community," Twitch said. "This is why we've decided to open the beta to all Twitch Partners in the United States with an active Prime membership and will make it available to all creators in the United States who are Amazon Prime members in the coming weeks."

Twitch's changes to the Watch Parties program are responses to feedback from those who asked for the feature to be expanded to more users, Twitch said. Within the next few months, Watch Parties should be available to all those who are subscribed to Amazon Prime whether they're creators or viewers.

"This is a priority for our team, and we are working closely with our Prime Video counterparts to make Watch Parties available to creators and viewers who are Amazon Prime members worldwide over the coming months," Twitch said. "New U.S. and global creators will receive an email notification when Watch Parties has been added to their Creator Dashboard."

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and Hunters are some of the original Amazon shows people can watch right now through Amazon Prime as well as through the Watch Parties feature. A full list of everything that's watchable can be found here with the catalog planned to be expanded throughout the year.