Bernie Sanders Joins Twitch: First Presidential Candidate to Join the Platform
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has officially joined Twitch, becoming the first presidential candidate to have a verified account on the platform. The Sanders campaign’s official activism Twitter account, @People4Bernie, shared the news and provided a link to the new Twitch channel.
Support for the Game Workers Unite Labor Union
This is not Sanders’ first interaction with the video game industry. He previously tweeted in support of the Game Workers Unite labor union, highlighting the need for collective bargaining for the workers responsible for the industry’s $43 billion revenue last year.
Twitch Collaboration with The Washington Post
At the moment, Sanders has over 7,100 followers on Twitch and follows only one other channel: The Washington Post. The newspaper recently started streaming high-profile congressional hearings and major national news events on Twitch. It is possible that the Sanders campaign collaborated with The Washington Post to effectively deliver political coverage on the gaming-centric platform.
Expanding Sanders’ Online Presence
Sanders and his team have been actively adopting social and digital media platforms to keep up with the changing online landscape. The new Twitch channel will likely broadcast similar content as Sanders’ Facebook and Twitter accounts but with the added benefit of engaging with Twitch’s young adult audience.
The incorporation of Twitch also offers fundraising potential through subscriptions and bit donations.
While it is unlikely that we will see Sanders gaming on the platform, the unpredictable nature of politics leaves room for surprises. Perhaps we’ll see him discussing various topics while playing popular games such as Wolfenstein: The New Order, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, or Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
First Twitch Broadcast During the Presidential Debate
If you’re interested in watching Bernie Sanders’ (potential) first Twitch broadcast, tune in to his Twitch account around 9:00pm EST on Thursday, June 27 during the presidential debate.
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