Twitch launches scheme to help more site users earn cash

Twitch has launched the Twitch Affiliate Program in a bid to bridge the gap between ‘emerging streamer’ and ‘Twitch Partner’. 

The new scheme will allow more users of the Amazon-owned videogame broadcast platform to make money from their streams – something that was previously only available to those accepted into the Twitch Partner Program.

In a blog post announcing the move, Twitch said that it is committed to being “the leading platform in the world for content creators to make a living from their passions” and that it wants to give emerging streamers “a leg up”.

The Twitch Affiliate Program will let “tens of thousands” of non-partnered creators start to earn an income by using ‘Cheering with Bits’ on their channels.

Cheers are a way for site users to show support for Twitch streamers and are powered by a micro-transaction system called Bits – evolving animated emoticons users can buy with real money.

To qualify to be a part of the Twitch Affiliate Program, users must have broadcast for least 500 minutes in the previous 30 days; have done at least seven unique broadcast days in the past 30 days; have had an average of three concurrent viewers or more over the last 30 days; and have at least 50 followers.

Twitch Affiliate Program from Twitch on Vimeo.