Twitch streamers are demanding an improvement in revenue from the streaming website. Currently, affiliates keep 50% of their revenue. The campaign calls for this to be raised to at least 70%.
Twitch Partner ChrispyGameplay is leading a charge to pressure Twitch into improving the terms it offers streamers. Currently, affiliates get a 50% revenue cut. Partners get either a 60/40 or 70/30 split. Partner terms are negotiated and are not publically available.
It is suggested that Twitch change this split to 70/30 for Affiliates, and 80/20 for Partners.
The suggestion on the 'User Voice' platform also calls for a lowering of the minimum payout for partners and affiliates. The current figure stands at $100 USD. This is the equivalent of the revenue of around 40 subscriptions.
Affiliates and partners are getting behind the campaign. The post on 'User Voice' has at the time of publishing over 5000 votes.
Twitch behind biggest competitors
SaltyWyvern, the user who started the petition notes how Twitch is out of step with its closest competitors. YouTube gaming offers a baseline 70/30 revenue split. Facebook Gaming offers an even better deal. Facebook has pledged to let streamers keep all their revenue until 2023.
Currently, Twitch is banking on their platform's greater popularity. This means they do not need an appealing financial offer to keep people streaming on their website.
Unsurprisingly, this campaign is getting significant support from smaller streamers. Many of whom have never had a payout from twitch despite years of streaming. The $100 payout threshold can be very hard to reach for some streamers.
What keeps small streamers on Twitch?
If key rivals YouTube and Facebook offer such strong revenue splits, why do small streamers stay put?
Frankly, Twitch has a monopoly over the streaming world. Streamlabs report that Twitch has over a 70% share in hours watched by viewers. They also report a steady climb by Facebook Gaming, but a decline from YouTube Gaming.
Both platforms currently do not rival Twitch in terms of viewership.
Twitch also has huge cultural significance, with mainstream celebrities such as Gordon Ramsay coming over to the platform.
Small streamers hope to be discovered, and neither YouTube nor Facebook offer the same opportunities as it stands.
Will there be a change?
This dominance makes it unlikely that Amazon (the parent company) will willingly forego significant amounts of money. Their huge dominance over the viewership of online streaming means that small streamers are at a major disadvantage if they choose to stream elsewhere.
As this would mostly benefit small sreamers, Twitch knows the hold it has over its streamers.
However, if Twitch did improve revenue for affiliates it would remove one of the biggest advantages that Facebook and Youtube can offer streamers.
If you would like to add your vote to the suggestion, you can do so here.
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