Twitch has introduced a new level of partnership specifically designed for its highest-earning streamers. This was recently reported on their blog. But is this a good innovation? Let’s look at the pros and cons...
The Partner Plus program offers a unique revenue split of 70/30 instead of the standard 50/50. This split applies to the first $100K of revenue generated by a streamer in a year. Nevertheless, this new split falls short of Kick's generous 95/5 offer.
To be eligible for this program, streamers need to have a minimum of 350 recurring paid subscribers for a consecutive 3-month period. Once qualified, streamers remain in the Partner Plus program for a duration of twelve months (regardless of whether their subscriber count falls below 350 during that period).
It's important to note that Twitch Prime and gift subscriptions are not included in this subscriber requirement, although gift subscriptions do benefit from the improved revenue split.
The Partner Plus program is set to launch on October 1st, 2023. Streamers' subscription statistics from the preceding months of July, August, and September will determine their qualification for the program upon its launch.
Based on data from Stream Charts, it appears that only around 1,000 streamers out of Twitch's approximate 42K partners meet the requirements for the Partner Plus program. So what does this mean? If we translate this into numbers, only 2.5% of the partners on Twitch would have access to the new program!
Given the limited number of creators, many of whom already had a 70/30 revenue split in their existing contracts, this new program seems more like a symbolic gesture rather than a genuinely helpful initiative. Plus, stringent requirements exclude numerous successful streamers due to technicalities.
As one might imagine, the community's response was mixed. Namely, far from optimistic. On social media, the reaction was harsher. Why?
For instance, numerous Twitch Partners maintain subscriber counts well above 1,000 due to gift subscriptions and Twitch Prime, but they become ineligible if their recurring subscriber count falls below 350. Furthermore, there are streamers who meet the recurring subscriber count criteria but have not yet been accepted into the partnership program.
In conclusion
Due to the recent Twitch controversy surrounding the updated branded content policy, it's understandable that many users are now skeptical of the platform. And given the migration of streamers from Twitch to competitors like Kick, the platform needs to offer more compelling incentives to its creators. As is well known without creators, Twitch risks remaining without necessary content. Therefore, the conclusion suggests itself: while the Partner Plus program is a step in the right direction, it fails to benefit a significant number of creators, ultimately alienating more users than it helps...
