Twitch started in 2007 as Justin.tv which allowed live streaming of personal video but gaming streams became most popular. It spun off Twitch.tv in 2011 which focuses exclusively on video game live streaming and has received over $43 million in venture funding. Twitch has grown rapidly with 35 million monthly users in 2014 through cultivating a strong gaming community, paying popular streamers, hosting tournaments, and facing little direct competition internationally from services like YouTube Live and Azubu Tv.