An Update to Several Streamer Payout Programs

Streamers and the communities you build are the foundation of Twitch. We understand the important role the revenue you earn from streaming plays in each of your lives. Our goal is to provide a revenue model that is rewarding and easy to understand while also being sustainable in the long run. 

We have three announcements today that build on changes we have made over the last year. These changes aim to create a long term, transparent framework for streamer compensation that rewards and encourages creators who are committed to live streaming:

1. Expanding the Partner Plus Program to give more streamers access to increased net revenue shares on paid and gifted subs. 
2. Eliminating the US$100K cap for 70/30 net revenue share recipients.
3. Changing the Prime Gaming subscription payout model to a fixed rate for each country.

Expanding the Partner Plus Program

In October 2023, we launched the Partner Plus Program to provide streamers with improved net revenue share on paid and gifted subs based on clear and objective criteria. Thousands of streamers have already qualified for Partner Plus, and starting May 1st, we will be expanding the program in three ways:

1. We are adding a new level to the program to expand the benefits to a broader group of streamers. Streamers who maintain 100 Plus Points for three consecutive months will qualify for 60/40 net revenue on paid and gift subscriptions to their channel.
2. We are reducing the Plus Points threshold for the 70/30 net revenue share level from 350 to 300. 
3. We are allowing Affiliates to qualify. When the Partner Plus Program launched with qualification set at 350 points, it made sense for the program to be Partner-only, as just about every streamer who would qualify was a Partner. With the lower thresholds, more Affiliates can qualify, and they deserve to be rewarded for the support of their communities. 

This means we will also need to change the name of the program, so the “Partner Plus Program” will be known as the “Plus Program” when the changes take effect in May.​​​​​​

In total, this expansion will allow three times as many streamers to have premium net revenue share rates. For more information on the Plus Program, visit our help page.

Eliminating the US$100K Cap

We are removing the US$100K cap on net revenue at the 70/30 revenue share level for all streamers, including those in the Partner Plus Program, effective immediately. Previously, after reaching $100K annually in net subscription revenue, the revenue share would revert from 70% to the standard rate of 50%. We have received clear feedback that the $100K cap limited the earnings and growth opportunities for impacted streamers and served as a disincentive. This change is effective starting today.

Changes to the Prime Gaming Subscription Payout Model

Since 2016, Twitch users who are also Amazon Prime members have been granted a monthly token that they can use to subscribe to their favorite Twitch channels. The program has evolved and the monthly sub token benefit is now part of the broader Prime Gaming benefit, which also includes free games. These Prime Gaming sub tokens have been a supplemental source of revenue for many Twitch streamers and have given viewers a chance to enjoy subscriber benefits on Twitch without having to spend additional dollars. Prime Gaming is a close partner and sees tremendous value in continuing to support Twitch streamers through this program.

When we first launched, we decided to make Prime Gaming subscription payouts the same as paid subscription payouts. To continue offering the benefit in a sustainable way, we are transitioning to a fixed rate model for Prime Gaming subs based upon the country of the subscriber. The shift to a fixed rate model for Prime Gaming subs will be effective June 3, 2024, and the rates can be found here. We plan to publish the rates annually with updates as required. 

For most streamers, this change will not have a major impact on their revenue. While any decrease will feel disappointing, the difference between what streamers receive today for a Prime Gaming subscription and what they will receive after the change to fixed rates is less than 5% in the vast majority of countries. And to be clear, this difference only affects Prime Gaming subscriptions, which is only a portion of streamers’ overall revenue. Finally, the streamers who likely will be the most affected are those who receive 70% net revenue share on Prime Gaming subs based on historical contract terms. For some of these streamers, eliminating the $100K cap will offset this impact, but this will not be true for all streamers. We believe this is the right structure for the program going forward and are making this change to ensure that the monthly Twitch subscription available to Prime members is a long-term, sustainable benefit for the Twitch community.

Conclusion

Every month, over one million streamers earn money streaming on Twitch. For some, the money they make from Twitch is of secondary importance as they primarily use Twitch because they enjoy building a community through live streaming. However, for many Twitch streamers, being a creator is their career. Many more dream of becoming a career streamer. While streamers make money from many sources, the income they make directly from Twitch is a significant part of how they fund their lives. Twitch’s long-term success depends upon our ability to help these creators sustain their careers over time. At the same time, since our creators depend upon Twitch, we need to ensure that our revenue share structure is designed so that we can sustain the business and Twitch will be here 50 years from now.

The changes we are announcing today are designed to create a transparent revenue share framework that can bring predictability to streamers’ careers. I know this post describes a number of changes, some of which are complex, and I’m sure you all have questions. I’ll host a stream on /Twitch today, January 24, at 10:30 am PT, so I can answer your questions and explain our thinking a little more. As always, we welcome your feedback and will continue to make Twitch the best place to be a live content creator.

- Dan Clancy

Chief Executive Officer