Twitch expands opportunities to monetize streams

Streaming platform Twitch has introduced a so-called affiliate program, with which it offers more streamers the opportunity to monetize their channel. Until now, this was only reserved for partners, who will continue to exist as a separate group.

The new group, Affiliates, is currently made up of individuals who have broadcast at least 500 minutes in the past month in seven different sessions and who have reached an average concurrent viewership of 3, according to Twitch. The channel in question must also have a minimum of 50 followers. It is not possible to register as an Affiliate, the company itself will invite people via email who are eligible for this program.

Initially, the streamers in the new category will have access to the “Cheering with Bits” feature, which Twitch introduced last year and which until now was only available to partners. This feature allows viewers to purchase certain emoji, or Bits, in their own currency. They can then use it in the chat. If they do this, the streamer gets 1 cent for every Bit used.

In the future, it should also be possible for Affiliates to let viewers subscribe to their channel, sell games and show advertisements. There are still differences between Affiliates and Partners. This gives the latter group access to more extensive ‘premium’ functions. The streaming service writes that the new program should make it easier to start as a streamer on the platform.

Variety writes that the Amazon subsidiary now has 17,000 streaming Partners, who are part of the total 2.2 million monthly active streamers. Since the introduction of the feature in June, viewers are said to have spent 1 billion Bits on Twitch.