LeBron James is betting big on Kittch, a new platform that is positioning itself to be the Twitch and TikTok of the culinary world. Page Six reports that James, a known food aficionado (a word which is roughly 2000x cooler than “foodie”), has just joined on as an investor of the new platform, which is set to launch to the public on Tuesday after a four-month Beta test.
At first glance, it might seem redundant to launch a platform like Kittch when TikTok and Twitch already exist and are both great places to pick up culinary hacks and recipes. But Kittch is taking a different approach by supplying users with a deeper dive into the culinary world by relying on the expertise of star chefs to deliver long-form content.
The new platform promises 24/7 live streams of James Beard award-winning, Michelin Star, and up-and-coming chefs preparing meals live from their home kitchens and restaurants.
Much of the content will be free to access across Kittch, and Fast Company reports that chefs can opt to stream for free or charge viewers for more extensive cooking classes and workshops, and users will be able to directly tip the chefs, adding an important new revenue stream for chefs outside of the restaurant.
Ultimately Kittch is setting itself up as a community-focused solely on food (something that Twitch and TikTok aren’t explicitly designed for) and eventually plans to rope in the community as the platform grows, turning users into content creators, much like Twitch.
Speaking to Fast Company, Kittch co-founder Brian Bedroll says his goal for Kittch is “to be a diverse, democratic place where as you build a following, you build the ability to monetize, and you’re able to really take advantage of the platform as a place of discovery and a place of community.”
Considering LeBron’s business game is as strong as his on-court skills, (the GOAT owns franchises, entertainment companies, and is an active investor), we’re very intrigued to see how, if, and when Kittch takes off.