Highlights
- Price increase for Twitch subscriptions in select countries on March 28 will benefit streamer revenue and account for rising costs.
- Despite positive changes like Partner Plus program, users are upset with Twitch’s direction and recent layoffs, sparking negative reaction on social media.
- Twitch’s financial stability in question as it employs price increases to retain top streamers, facing competition from platforms like Kick and YouTube.
Twitch subscriptions are getting more expensive in select countries starting March 28, and the US may be one of the regions seeing a price increase in the near future. These updated prices for Twitch subscriptions will “help streamer revenue keep pace with rising costs” and account for inflation in several countries, according to Twitch.
Twitch needs no introduction as one of the largest and most successful livestreaming platforms, but recent changes to the platform have given rise to competitors such as Kick and YouTube. Over the years, various complaints about Twitch’s Partner program, community guidelines, and streamer revenue led notable streamers, including Adin Ross and Pokimane, to quit the platform and seek better deals on a competing service. However, Twitch is making more beneficial changes to the platform that could encourage more streamers to stay. For example, Twitch’s updated Partner Plus program will let Partners and Affiliates benefit from the 70/30 revenue split instead of the previous 50/50 split.
Twitch Streamer Gets Attacked for Public Filming
A Twitch content creator faces an attack from an angry individual for public filming, highlighting the unpredictable nature of IRL streams.
Just a week before Twitch shuts down in South Korea, the company confirmed on February 20 that Tier 1 subscription and gift sub prices will increase by $1 in Australia and Canada and £1 in the UK starting March 28. The updated prices are meant to aid streamer revenue and account for rising costs in the applicable countries. The subscription price increase will apply on desktop and mobile web browsers, but Twitch plans to introduce the updated Tier 1 pricing to the mobile app in the coming months. Existing subscriptions in Australia, Canada, and the UK will automatically renew at the new price with no action needed. According to Dexerto, Twitch chief monetization officer Mike Minton also notes that the Twitch subscription price increase will likely apply to the US, since Canadian and US currencies track very closely.
Increased Prices for Twitch Tier 1 Subscriptions
- Australia
- New price: A$8.99
- Old price: A$7.99
- Canada:
- New price: C$7.99
- Old price: C$6.99
- UK
- New price: £4.99
- Old price: £3.99
Turkey will receive price increases across all three Twitch tiers on March 28 as well. Twitch subscription prices in the country are increasing by roughly 400% across all three tiers, with Tier 1 subs will increase from TRY9.90 ($0.32) to TRY43.90 ($1.42). Tier 2 subs will increase from TRY19.99 ($0.65) to TRY87.90 ($2.84), and Tier 3 subs will increase from TRY49.99 ($1.62) to TRY215.90 ($6.98).
The overall reaction to the Twitch price increase is mostly negative on social media, with the Twitter community angered by the changes being made and wanting more clarification from the company. Despite the positive updates coming to Partner Plus, many users still appear to be upset with the direction that Twitch is heading in. Some of the anger may stem from the recent round of Twitch layoffs, which saw hundreds of employees exiting the company.
Twitch is no longer profitable, so the company will likely continue to employ measures like price increases in order to retain its biggest streamers and promote financial stability. The increasing frustration of the community and the viability of rival platforms doesn’t help Twitch’s long-term prospects, however.
