Quote/Unquote
Christine Cassis is the new chief marketing officer at the live-stream platform Twitch, news that I broke for ADWEEK exclusively on Tuesday. Cassis, who comes to the platform following stints at Reddit, Google, and, most recently, Shopify, joins Twitch at a critical moment for the company.
The platform, which Amazon acquired in 2014 for $970 million, finds itself with the opportunity to capitalize on twin tailwinds: the rise of live-streaming as an alternative to AI-generated content, and the continued ascendance of live programming in the world of media and programming.
This interview has been edited.
Mark Stenberg: Why join Twitch?
Christine Cassis: What drew me here is how unapologetically distinct Twitch remains. While much of the web has shifted toward hyper-optimized, algorithmic feeds built for passive scrolling and digital isolation, Twitch is live, unscripted, participatory, and deeply human.
Mark: Most people associate Twitch with gaming, which is itself having a moment. How do you hope to expand the Twitch ecosystem?
Christine: Gaming remains foundational—it’s the heartbeat of Twitch—and we’re also seeing tremendous momentum across sports, music, entertainment, and creative culture. The opportunity ahead is to protect what makes Twitch unique, while inviting more people in to experience the creators and communities that make this place so special.
Mark: What are your main priorities for the company?
Christine: First, protecting and backing our core gaming community. Second, closing the perception gap. Twitch is so much more than any one thing, and we want to help brand partners and broader audiences see the full breadth of what’s happening here. Third, building a stronger discovery engine. We are finding new ways to turn the creators, conversations, and cultural moments happening live on Twitch into entry points for audiences who aren’t part of the community yet.
Mark: How do you hope to capitalize on the marketing fervor around live programming?
Christine: Look at how live sports are evolving. Modern fans—especially younger demos—don’t just want a traditional play-by-play broadcast. They want behind-the-scenes access, real-time chat, and the ability to watch games while interacting with their favorite creators. On Twitch, when creators stream live WNBA or NFL games on their channels, it transforms a traditional broadcast into an interactive game day experience you enjoy alongside a community.
Mark: How do you see the role of live-streaming in the media ecosystem evolving in the near future?
Christine: Live-streaming is shifting media from something you passively consume into something you actively experience together. In the near future, every major media property and brand will realize that passive impressions don’t build long-term loyalty—live, shared experiences do.
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