Twitter has confirmed that its live-streaming platform Periscope, which it acquired back in 2015, will be shuttered in March 2021, with its core features being baked into Twitter itself.
The social networking giant took ownership of Periscope at the same time as the app was named App of the Year by Apple, and though the company has enjoyed some success with the platform, its’s now an “unsustainable” business model, and the company plans to close it and transition any remaining Periscope-exclusive features over to the main Twitter app.
Speaking of the shuttering, Periscope said: “Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen declining usage and know that the cost to support the app will only continue to go up over time. Leaving it in its current state isn’t doing right by the current and former Periscope community or by Twitter. We still believe in the power of live video to solve impactful problems, which is why we’ve brought most of the core capabilities of Periscope into Twitter.
“We probably would have made this decision sooner if it weren’t for all of the projects we reprioritized due to the events of 2020. We’re sharing our decision with you now because we want to be transparent and honest about where we’re at and what’s next.”
As part of the shuttering process, Twitter has now disabled sign-ups on the app and has made it easier for existing users to cash out any tips they’ve been given by users. When the app closes in March, it will become ‘read-only’, similar to Vine, and offer a feature for users to download a full archive of their content.
Twitter has introduced a number of new features to its app in recent months, including support for audio-only tweets, and most recently, Fleets, a Stories-like service on the top of users’ timelines. Reaction to the latter has been mixed, but it allows the company to add another revenue stream to its bow and persuade users to stick around on the app for longer.
Are you sad to see Periscope go? Let us know and check back soon for more news.
