Sykkuno has become the latest Twitch star to tell his huge streaming fandom to stop subscribing to his channel, claiming he is happy making his money from sponsorship deals instead of his viewer’s “hard-earned dollars.”
The 30-year-old Twitch star, known online as “Sykkuno,” has built quite the streaming following over the past few years and now broadcasts to 3.9m fans.
Sykkuno has been able to convert that immense fandom — which grows week on week — into a hefty 13.2k subscribers on the Amazon-owned site. If it were up to him, however, he wouldn’t have even one: the Californian streamer has asked his fans to stop subscribing anymore.
“I really do appreciate people subbing,” he said.
“It’s nice, it shows support, but I’m in a lucky position where I get sponsors, deals that help me [get paid to stream]. I’d rather rely on that [instead of subs].”
Sykkuno’s opinion on subscriptions from his fans is that it’s “nice” to see a number representing his most loyal supporters, but the way Twitch’s income system works means it’s basically just taking their money.
The better solution, he says, is just to keep the cash.
“It’s kind of weird,” the Twitch star explained, “because you earn $8, then you get taxed on that, then you give it to me, and I earn like, two bucks from it. I don’t know exact numbers, and I do really appreciate [the subs], but… it’s sort of a weird feeling when there’s a billion cuts before I get your money.
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“Not that I don’t appreciate it, of course,” he added. “I’d rather just do sponsorships, partnered deals, that kind of thing, and rely on that to make my money.”
He continued: “It’s not like I don’t make a lot from it, from what you guys give me, and I am happy about that. You guys saw the leaks way back when, I make a lot from your subscriptions, all those subs. But it’s weird.
“[Right now] you give me so much and I get a dollar or two. It feels awkward. The best way you can support me is show up and support my sponsor streams.”
Sykkuno is far from the first streamer to suggest their legions of fans on the popular Amazon-owned platform keep their money either. Pokimane famously capped donations at $5 and told fans to stop subscribing in 2020, stating: “Support growing channels, charities, and treat yourselves.”
On the opposite side of the coin, streamers like InvaderVie and BadBunny have come under fire in the past for demanding their “cheapskate” viewers buy subscriptions.
“I hope this doesn’t come off weird,” Sykkuno added after his request, “because even now people are subbing. I do appreciate it, whatever you decide to do.”
