Is Twitch Turbo losing you money?
Ads and streamers have never had a harmonious relationship. Ads are universally hated by streamers and their viewers alike. Pre-roll advertisements deter viewers from checking out new streamers, while mid-roll advertisements interfere with the viewing experience. However, for many streamers, ads are their primary source of revenue. All they can do is run as many advertisements as they can. Twitch also encourages its streamers to run as many advertisements as they can. Twitch recently unveiled its Ads Incentive Program, which provides streamers who agree to show ads and fulfil specific requirements with fixed rewards. So why would any streamer endorse Twitch Turbo when advertisements are so essential to Twitch’s income model?
In order to comprehend why streams might support Twitch Turbo or not, you must first
What is Twitch Turbo?
Pre-roll, mid-roll, and on-page advertisements on Twitch are all disabled for subscribers of Twitch Turbo, a monthly subscription service. Subscribers also get access to two more sets of Twitch emotes, a unique chat badge, and the option to change the colour of their chat nickname. Streamers who have a Twitch Turbo subscription can save their previous broadcasts for up to 60 days instead of just 14.
Does Twitch Turbo lose streamers money?
Does this mean streamers miss out on money from ad impressions since Twitch Turbo disables advertisements for subscribers? Thank goodness, no. When a Turbo member watches a Twitch Partner’s or Affiliate’s channel, they are still credited for the ad impressions.
That doesn’t mean, though, that Turbo can’t cost streamers money. Direct subscriptions to streamers’ channels on Twitch are another way
They can make money. direct subscription offers many benefits, one of which is ad-free viewing on the channel of choice. Although Turbo doesn’t stop users from directly subscribing to channels, it does take away its most alluring feature. This consequently reduces the amount of money streamers make from direct subscriptions.
Why would streamers support Turbo?
Some streamers continue to urge their viewers to get Twitch Turbo, even though they risk losing their direct subscriptions. For example, the most popular streamer on Twitch, xQc, recently advised his followers to download Twitch Turbo instead of subscribing to him. According to quotes, he said, “Get yourself Twitch Turbo.” I love Twitch Turbo. When it is available, the platform is completely free of advertisements.
Generally speaking, Twitch Turbo-supporting streamers prioritise increasing and maintaining their viewership over subscription numbers. Because users must endure advertisements each time they click on a new channel, pre-roll commercials deter viewers from trying out new streamers. Similarly, if viewers are forced to see mid-roll advertisements, they might quit streaming. Watchers can now discover new broadcasters they enjoy much more easily thanks to Turbo. When it comes to xQc, people who have Turbo but have never seen his stream are more inclined to check it out than if they have to endure commercials.
For streamers, viewership and retention are crucial since they can result in profitable brand partnerships and sponsorships. This might be more profitable than the percentage they receive from Twitch subscribers. Naturally, this is dependent on the size and typical viewership of the streamer.
Should streamers support Turbo?
Now, not everyone should use Twitch Turbo. Is pushing Turbo helpful for smaller streams, even though it can be advantageous for bigger streamers farther up in the directory? That varies. A streamer must balance the possibility of losing subscribers against the possibility of increasing viewership if they wish to optimise their earnings. Losing subscribers won’t endanger xQc’s career. Being at the top of Twitch’s directory will help him develop his stream, so he should encourage viewers to switch between both. It could be ideal for smaller streamers to hang onto their subscriptions until they become the biggest in their respective categories.
Twitch Turbo won’t help your viewers if they just watch you. They might just subscribe to your channel for less money. Another way to help is to invite people to use their Prime memberships on you and to support Turbo. In this manner, they receive your channel’s emotes and badge in addition to platform-wide ad-free viewing.
To turbo or not to turbo?
Though not always, Twitch Turbo can be advantageous to both viewers and streamers. The decision to support Twitch Turbo or not will depend on your revenue streams and scale. It’s acceptable to ask your audience to support your stream by subscribing to or utilising their Twitch Primes if your streaming business depends on subscriptions. In the end, you should make sure the base of your channel is stable before adding to it. In addition, one of the several strategies to grow your viewership is to endorse Twitch Turbo. To find out more, read our piece on growing your audience.
