Twitch reportedly considering more ads and worse subscription deals

pcgamesn.com:

Twitch is considering lowering subscription payouts to its top-tier streamers, according to a new report. Bloomberg says recent meetings at the Amazon-owned streaming giant have focused on monetisation changes that could start rolling out this summer, including a push for more ad-supported revenue programs.

Most streamers in Twitch’s partnership program earn 50% of the revenue from subscriptions on the platform. Top streamers can earn up to 70% of that revenue. People familiar with the planning tell Bloomberg (paywalled) that Twitch is considering dropping the revenue share to 50% across the board, regardless of a streamer’s standing.

None of these plans are yet finalised and are still subject to change, but Twitch is also considering dropping its exclusivity deals for big streamers. It’s also considering a bigger push for ads, including a revenue sharing model that could make up for a streamer’s reduced subscription revenue share. Ads have become increasingly prominent on Twitch, and many viewers feel they’ve become increasingly disruptive to streams. Twitch declined to comment on Bloomberg’s report.

Twitch has faced increasing criticism from both viewers and streamers, for everything from failing to adequately combat harassment on the platform to its often strange decisions on moderation. While gaming branches on YouTube and Facebook have seen big pushes, no live game streaming service has yet matched Twitch’s reach.

I want to again emphasize that sources said these changes are or have been in discussion and are not finalized. Some may help streamers make more money. The idea here was to make important discussions less opaque, one source told me

— Cecilia D'Anastasio (@cecianasta) <a