The Verge reports that “Twitch is getting bought, but it’s not YouTube and Google that are doing the buying. Amazon has agreed to buy the massively popular video game streaming website in an all-cash deal totaling approximately $970 million. The announcement is surprising in light of recent reports that suggested YouTube and Twitch had already reached a $1 billion buyout agreement to bring Twitch’s platform and massive community under the Google umbrella.”

“But ultimately it was Amazon that Twitch bet its future on. “‘We chose Amazon because they believe in our community, they share our values and long-term vision, and they want to help us get there faster,’ Twitch CEO Emmett Shear said in a statement. ‘We’re keeping most everything the same: our office, our employees, our brand, and most importantly our independence. But with Amazon’s support we’ll have the resources to bring you an even better Twitch.'”

The Information had the story first.

The New York Times offers an excellent graph that charts “the Rise of Twitch.”