As today is the deadline for WWE Superstars to be able to turn over their third-party accounts to WWE without fear of penalty from the promotion, one of their most popular superstars on Twitch has made another statement saying that she will not be departing on the platform.
Paige took to Twitter today following the news that WWE is looking to take control of talent Twitch accounts in four weeks meaning WWE will own the accounts, but talent will receive a percentage of the revenue, which counts against their downside guarantees.
Twitch is MY place what I built with my wonderful fans. A place where people can go and feel some positivity and little bit of normalcy. Fun. Interactive. Non judgemental. Charitable place. I’m proud of what I built with my fan base.
— SARAYA (@RealPaigeWWE) October 2, 2020
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many WWE Superstars have taken to Twitch and other platforms to further connect with their audience and continue to maximize their income as well. Last month, Vince McMahon put out an internal memo saying that all talent needed to turn over their accounts to WWE as it was a conflict of interest to have WWE superstars on third-party.
Paige commented further with Zelina Vega expressing her appreciation for Paige's support and helping her build an audience.
Nah difference is I grinded for 15 years for my fan base that I brought over to twitch. Also dropping raids and 50 bombs on smaller streamers to help them grow. Not for bitter people like you though. Work hard and you’ll get a fan base to. https://t.co/IeBSxPxpnp
— SARAYA (@RealPaigeWWE) October 2, 2020
And host charities for people and animals in need. Yesterday we raised enough money to help someone get their cat the surgery they needed to survive. We love what we built and worked hard for.
— ------------ -------- (@Zelina_VegaWWE) October 2, 2020
At that time, many put out a statement saying that they would be okay as long as their platforms were changed to reflect their real name. Even Paige herself commented at the time saying that she would just be changing the branding on the account from “Paige” to “Saraya.”
Mia Yim also commented about what she has been able to achieve during her time on Twitch, which included doing charity streams.
Gaming has been my escape from reality and a way to interact with friends and fans throughout this difficult few months.
— The HBIC (@MiaYim) October 3, 2020
The community that I gained on twitch also help me raise funds for a friends burial expense and a friend’s kidney transplant.
This is why I game. --
Former Presidential candidate Andrew Yang recently said that he heard from talent in WWE that WWE is forcing performers to sign new contracts which would actually make Twitch an obligation. Learn more at this link.