Twitch is entering the closed beta testing period for a new interactive experience — multiplayer ads, and the new approach aims to get brands in front of an entire viewing audience as opposed to an individual streamer.
After an ad break, the streamer will take part in a poll about the content of the spot. Based on the number of participants in that poll, the streamer will earn an amount of Bits (Twitch’s in-app currency) which will translate into increased income for the influencer.
“Advertisements are vital to helping creators generate income and keeping Twitch free and globally available,” Twitch VP of Monetization Mike Minton told The Esports Observer. “But we also don’t want fans to feel isolated when advertisements pop up during a stream. That’s why we consistently work with our community to find new ways to boost engagement, give creators more control over advertising on their channels, and still generate income.”
While ads can bring some stability to a streamer’s revenue base, the inclusion of ads brings with it the risk of having viewers move to another channel. Issues have included how often to run an ad or even whether to run them at all. Some streamers have already put in work to make ad breaks an interactive part of their channel, either by “punishing” an unruly chat room with ads or allowing viewers to trigger a mandatory ad break through Twitch’s channel points system.
“Multiplayer ads are built out of what makes Twitch unique: shared experience, community and interactivity,” Minton said. “These ads are also more effective for advertisers thanks to the real-time engagement of the poll feature. Though still in closed beta, we’re excited to gauge wider response to multiplayer ads and innovate further as we build the best advertising experiences for livestreaming possible.”