Have you ever heard of Twitch? It is a platform created in 2011 and then bought in 2014 by the giant Amazon. Originally intended to host live video game content, today it offers more diverse content but always live, as we saw with Olympique de Marseille, which broadcast for the very first time in France, one of its preparation matches. The people who create content on this platform are called streamers because they broadcast live content called streams. They broadcast live content (even if you can watch some videos on time, what we call VOD), unlike what can be done on other platforms such as YouTube where the content is mainly on VOD with edits made on the original content and a minority live, in particular via YouTube Gaming.
I) Twitch mechanics
1) The stream
Each streamer will broadcast their content directly by displaying the video game (or other content) linked to their stream and they will be able to make it prettier via Custom Skins Around The Various Cameras That he features on his stream (usually a capture of the game and the streamer playing). Items can also be added to the screen such as the number of followers (people who follow this streamer and are notified when a live starts) or the Twitch chat displayed on the screen. These various elements are grouped together in what are called “scenes” in reference to the feature of the same name on the OBS Studio stream capture and broadcast software (free software). Note that it is also possible to do a live from a mobile phone with the Twitch application and thus broadcast content outside.
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Captured by streamer Littlebigwhale[/caption]
2) The statuses of streamers
People can watch these streams with or without a subscription. For each channel you can “follow” it Which allows us to be notified when it broadcasts a live and can give us access to certain content defined by the streamer (specific emotes, possibility to write in the chat...). If the channel gets a certain number of followers and meets certain criteria, it can become Twitch affiliate or Twitch partner two statuses that allow streamers to unlock content and sources of income.
To Be Twitch affiliate, you must have broadcast 8 hours of content over the last 30 days on 7 different days with at least 3 viewers on average. It is also necessary to be attended by more than 50 people.
To Be Twitch partner You must have broadcast 25 hours of content over the last 30 days on 12 different days with at least 75 viewers on average. You must then be validated by the Twitch team.
For these two statuses, viewers will be able to subscribe to channels with different levels ranging from €4.99 to €24.99 per month. To support the streamer.
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Subscription Capture for Zerator, Maghla, and Gotaga[/caption]
Becoming a Twitch affiliate or Twitch partner also implies exclusivity on Twitch (for a period of 2 years). For partners) concerning the streaming content of said partner (see screenshot below). It is therefore possible to appear in YouTube videos for example but not in live videos on YouTube, Facebook, Mixer or other competitors. Twitch also has the exclusive right to (re) broadcast content for 24 hours, it can then be the subject of best of videos on YouTube for example. For streamers with the largest communities, the subscription generally gives access to exclusive emotes personalized in connection with the content of the channel and allowing you to express yourself on the chat when it is in submode (reserved only for subscribers). Submode can be activated basic or in order to limit inappropriate reactions from non-subscribers who are too numerous to moderate. People with an Amazon Prime account can also subscribe to a channel for free via a Twitch Prime subscription.
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Source: Mossfreestyle on Twitter [/caption]
3) Donations (bits)
Viewers can also spend their money to highlight their messages in the chat via a “cheer.” To do this, they have to buy “bits.”, Twitch's virtual currency. By spending them they will eventually be able to unlock content specific to the channel where they are spent. Knowing That The streamer basically gets $0.01 per bit spent on his channel they are identified as donations to the streamer.
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Source Twitch[/caption]
II) The community aspect
1) The status of the viewers
Twitch is characterized by the broadcast of live content even if the videos can be watched delayed on some channels. The central element of Twitch outside of the stream is the chat that allows interaction between the streamer and his viewers. In this chat we can identify Different Viewer Statuses Thanks to the Badges Next to Their Screen Names. In particular, we can identify moderators, subscribers according to their different levels, people who have used a prime subscription, who are verified or who have spent bits on the channel.
2) Collective Momentum or Hype Train
We also find Mechanisms that allow a person to offer subscriptions or “subs” to targeted or random viewers, possibly anonymously. Twitch also introduced a Mechanic called “Hype Train” Which is triggered when a certain number of people (set by the streamer) subscribe to a subscription or use bits. The train has several levels, which encourages users to take out subscriptions, give them away, or use bits in turn. Train contributors also get specific badges according to the level reached by the train.
The people who offered the most subs or used the most bits also have specific badges on the channel in question.
We also find Chat bots that are set by the streamer To deliver information on a recurring basis in the chat as above to encourage following the streamer or to provide information in response to a specific command from the viewer (ex: /slow will slow down the cat's scrolling speed).
3) Emotes
One Fundamental Aspect in Connection with the Cat is the Use of Emotes, there are generic ones present on all channels or personalized ones. They are used to react to an action by the streamer or viewers, and more frequently to Indicate Their Emotion or the Tone of Their Message. In particular, it is almost impossible to understand whether a message is ironic or not without these emotes.
Twitch also offers to earn points the more time the viewer spends watching a channel. It is thus possible to highlight a message for free or to use an emote reserved for subscribers for 24 hours without a subscription.
Twitch also has language codes that can be found on all streams, “F” thus means rest in peace in reference to the Call of Duty game in which you could gather at the tomb of a soldier by pressing the F key on his keyboard. “Oof” is for its part used to express that content has been very critical either against the streamer or the cat.
4) The clips
Twitch includes a “clip” mechanism. These are videos of a maximum of one minute that can be made by live viewers (if authorized by the streamer) by clicking in the bottom right corner of the video:
We then access an interface where we can select a maximum of one minute of video from the previous 1min30s of stream (or VOD).
You can then give a name to this clip and a url link is generated that you can share on the internet or in the stream chat. The most viewed clips are also viewable on the channel where they were captured. Clips thus make it possible to quickly review an event that has just occurred in the stream and to share it, for example, to easily access the best moments of the stream.
5) Diffusion mechanisms
Streamers can also promote the content of other channels, either by hosting them via a “host.”, in this case we see the content of the broadcast channel but we stay on the channel of the person who shares it and he can interact with his community. Or the streamer can conduct a “raid” at the end of his live That is to say, he will redirect his viewers to another channel After a few seconds, this allows you to discover smaller streamers or to offer content that you appreciate to your community.
5) Broadcast media
The majority of audiences watch Twitch content on a computer, which is more convenient for viewing video content and participating in the chat, but a smartphone application exists. This application can also be used via TV boxes and Smart TVs that offer access to the Playstore. It is also possible to cast the Twitch application on your smartphone on devices such as the Chromecast or the Amazon Fire Stick.
How do you watch Twitch on your television?
Simply install the application, then go to login once the application is loaded. A page is displayed on your television screen with a code on the right that you will have to enter on the next page (https://www.twitch.tv/activate) via a computer or smartphone where you are already connected to Twitch:
All you have to do is confirm by clicking on “authorize”.
How do I make money on Twitch?
As we saw earlier, a streamer can receive money via bits. Generally, these are donations of at least 100 bits, or €1.
The sTreamer gets back a percentage of the subscription fees. If he is a Twitch partner, he will be able to recover at least 50% of these fees (possibly more depending on his number of subscribers) or 30% if he is a Twitch affiliate. A Twitch streamer partner with 1,000 subscribers will therefore earn at least €2,500 per month.
The ads Are also a source of income, on Twitch an ad is Automatically Launched in Pre-Roll When we open a stream. Unlike YouTube, it is not possible to pass this pre-roll. The streamer can also allow ads to be launched during the stream. according to a timeframe of his choice (but this can be irritating for his viewers). A Twitch partner receives $3.5 from the CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) on ads.
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Amazon preroll example[/caption]
Streamers with a certain audience also appeal to Sponsors who generally provide material (Logitech, Intel...) Or finance its contents For example thePopcorn Show Broadcast on the Domingo stream and supported by Pringles and Diesel Fragrances.
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Domingo X Intel and Popcorn X Pringles[/caption]
For hardware, it is often highlighted below the stream, either only for technical specifications or with a Affiliate link/promo code That makes money for the streamer. A similar mechanism exists for some video game stores.
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Example from streamer Mickalow[/caption]
Last format bringing money to the streamer, “Operation Spé” or special operations financed by an advertiser, usually a video game publisher. These operations are generally shared very transparently by streamers who will indicate this to their viewers and in the title of their live (which is requested by Twitch in order not to deceive viewers). As an example of opé spé, we can cite the game Apex Legends by Electronics Arts, which partnered with numerous streamers at its launch, or recently Canal+, which partnered with the streamer Doigby to broadcast the first episode of its Validated series.
If the opé spé can be negotiated directly between the advertiser and the streamer Twitch launched in 2019 the Bounty Board Or a table present in the streamer dashboard and offering special operations in which streamers can easily take part and be paid according to the number of viewers, the live time... etc. It seems that the remuneration is also linked to the number of followers or subscribers. The American streamer Reckful (910K followers) could thus while playing One hour playing League of Legends win over $8,400.
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Bounty board source Reckful[/caption]
The bounty board also makes it possible to reach a relevant audience because the operation will be offered to streamers who have affinities with the (type of) game in question and will make it easy to reach a multitude of micro influencers who are increasingly sought after by advertisers.
Apart from top streamers, it is quite rare to have more than 1,000 subscribers, this data is not public, so we can only rely on the statements of streamers. According to the site Twitchtracker In France it would be the streamer Zerator who would have the most subscribers, ie 15K (for 785K followers) according to the sub data displayed in the chat when someone takes a sub. Global Top Streamers would therefore have monthly salaries of several tens of thousands of dollars.
What audiences for Twitch in France?
In France, more than one million unique users every day visit the platform. An audience that is mostly male and between 16 and 34 years old.
What packages for advertisers?
If you want to advertise directly through the platform and not by partnering with a specific streamer Twitch offers three streaming packages :
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Twitch Media Kit Source[/caption]
In terms of Targeting the platform makes it possible to define an audience according to geolocation, its medium (tv, telephone, PC...) and its interest (for a specific game or game category).
- A homepage skin on Twitch will cost you €12K for an estimated 250K impressions.
- A pre-roll for one day will cost you €12.5K for an estimated 330K impressions.
What is the interest in coming to Twitch for an advertiser?
- Reaching a Key Target: 16-34 Year Olds
- Benefit from a significant exposure time (cf. Lions X ZLAN cereal). If on other platforms you quickly switch between content on Twitch, you usually choose a stream that you will watch for several consecutive minutes/hours.
- To be able to get live feedback from a target audience via chat (which can be analyzed via text mining) on a product or service put forward by a streamer.
- To be identified within a strong community ecosystem and thus contribute to the brand image.
- Enjoy an audience that watches content over a long period of time. In 2019 Twitch was the platform with the most hours watched (9.3 billion), far ahead of other platforms. This is very linked to the way in which Twitch content is consumed, where you will follow the same streamer for several tens of minutes or several hours without moving on to another content:
Cases of activations of advertisers
- PMU and the streamer Domingo. On the occasion of the Champions League match between Olympique Lyonnais and Juventus Turin PMU offered the streamer (OL fan) to comment on the match without broadcasting the images. They usually collaborate on poker tournaments. The brand was highlighted before the stream, the streamer having explained the promotional offer set up for new bettors on the PMU website and the brand logo was clearly identifiable on the screen throughout the duration of the stream. Results: A 2:50 stream with an average of 8,600 viewers and a peak of 11,200.
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Domingo X PMU[/caption]
- WWF France: the association for the preservation of the environment has launched a campaign in collaboration with the Solary e-Sport team. This campaign, called #Nobuildchallenge, took place on the popular Fortnite game, which consisted of being the last survivor of 100 players and where you can build buildings. With a specific mode, the association made construction impossible due to a lack of resources to alert to the current consumption of land resources.
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WWF - #Nobuildchallenge[/caption]
- Kellogg's and the Solary Team : a stream was launched to present the Kellogg's offer, which won codes in some of its packages and gave free access to the Game Pass (Microsoft Game Library). During this live, Solary won an Xbox and Game Pass codes by asking questions about the streamed gameplay. The products were visible alongside the players and the Kellogg's Tresor Cereal logo was on the screen throughout the stream. The “chocovores” found in the brand's advertisements also appeared occasionally on the screen.
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Kellogg's X Solary[/caption]
What data do streamers have access to?
1) Stream data
In collaborations between advertisers and influencers, data related to activation on the platform in question is generally requested in order to know its performance. It can be easily accessed via Facebook, use intermediary platforms for Instagram such as Traackr or use the traditional screenshots that the influencer will send directly. For Twitch, if the announcer works directly with a streamer (excluding the bounty board therefore) he can only rely on the data that the streamer will provide him. This data, unlike other platforms, is currently quite limited and here is how it is presented:
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Statistics for the Trackmania Cup 2020 final by streamer Zerator.[/caption]
In detail we therefore have:
- The duration of the stream (broadcast time).
- The average number of viewers during this stream.
- The peak number of viewers during this stream.
- The number of distinct people who spoke in the chat linked to this stream.
- The number of views of this stream. Attention, a person may have seen the stream several times if they have reconnected to it, or connected on several devices or web pages.
- The number of unique viewers is the number of distinct people who have seen the content of the stream at least once and are only counted once even if they have seen the content several times.
- The number of followers gained during this stream.
- The number of clips made during the stream (even if not shown in the screen above)
The graph this data illustrates and also includes information on subscriptions, the number of chat messages, clip views and the number of ad breaks during the stream:
The data in this graph can be exported in the form of a CSV file that compiles all this data.
2) Channel data
The streamer also has access to data aggregating the performances at the level of his channel presented in the same form and where the number of minutes watched by the viewers will also be present. This data can also be exported in CSV over a range of 30 days maximum.
On this page, the streamer can also have information on where his viewers come from: the channel page, other channels, followers (notifications), Twitch searches, other Twitch sources, external sources.
By displaying more details on this section called “Where do my views come from?” We have access to information on the demographic of viewers of our channel:
We can thus know about at most the last 30 days in which countries the streams were viewed and from which media: internet, Android app, iOS app or console.
The streamer, if he has a sufficient number of views generated in the last 30 days, also has INF
