YouTube Gaming star TimTheTatman was feeling bad for his fellow streamers over at Twitch after it changed the ad revenue program with baseline payouts.
Twitch recently changed how it would pay streamers for their time going live. Some Partners and Affiliates have a chance to opt-in to the new Ad Incentives Program (AIP) for a flat, monthly payout based on a minimum amount of ads played per hour streamed.
This came on the heels of a rumored change to Twitch sub splits that had streamers on edge. It was reported that Twitch were seeking a 70/30 revenue split from subscribers, up from the industry-high 50/50 they already take.
But a seasoned broadcaster like TimTheTatman can read between the lines and was baffled to see the Amazon-owned streaming site go forward with the AIP.
TimTheTatman expresses condolences for smaller streamers
“I legitimately feel bad for smaller creators right now, specifically,” Tim said. “Because the way they are angling everything at Twitch– When I was a smaller creator on Twitch, subs were the thing that were really keeping me afloat.
“Now, for smaller creators, it looks like they’re trying to get away from that sub split and they’re pushing for ads, and the f**king incentive is $22 a month?”
Generally speaking, it’s already hard for newer, or even mid-sized, streamers to retain and grow an audience, and Tim isn’t too keen to see what the effects of the AIP will mean for people.
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(Timestamp at 24 mins into livestream)
With such a low payout to invite what some are calling an ‘intrusive’ ad roll, it’s going to present another obstacle for up-and-coming talents to convince their growing viewer base to stay on the channel.
“‘Hey guys, you can run one-minute of ad per hour and you can get yourself $22 for a month of work.’ All I can say is thank the Lord above I’m on YouTube right now.”
As one of YouTube’s prized streamers, TimTheTatman is apprehensive for young streamers on Twitch – so it’ll be interesting to see how reactions mount up once the system rolls out for more people.
