Both pay streamers a 50 percent cut of subscriptions they get to their channel, which come in three tiers—$4.99, $9.99 and $24.99. They also get a cut from Bits, which are virtual goods viewers can. Estimates regarding the CPM of a Twitch streamer also varies, with claims that it could be in the vicinity of $2 to $10 per 1,000 views. This is a significantly larger CPM than YouTubers, who will typically earn just $1.10 per 1,000 views. That is not to say that Twitch Streamers earn more, as YouTubers have access to a larger audience base.
Twitch is the place to be for those loving the social side of gaming. Some of the world’s top gamers demonstrate their skills for their fans on their Twitch channel, many on an almost full-time basis. The top Twitch streamers can do this because they can make a healthy income from playing games and commentating on their progress.
It is perhaps surprising that quite a few of Generation Z are more entertained by watching others play games than playing themselves. Clearly, this indicates that the more popular Twitch streamers can skillfully entertain their fans. The viewers are there more for the commentary and conversation than they are for the fun of the game.
Twitch has grown in popularity, and there are now more than3.3 million broadcasters per month, an increase of 63.5% over the last year. There is 48 billion minutes’ worth of Twitch broadcasts watched every month. At any moment in time, more than 1.1 million viewers watch Twitch, with nearly 4 million viewers at busy times.
Influencer Marketing Hub can give you an indication of the media value of any Twitch channel along with the likely cost of buying a sponsorship for that channel. These values weigh up numerous factors, but effectively indicate the level of influence of the chosen Twitch channel. The tools below are not official Twitch tools and are not in any way associated or endorsed by Twitch. The Influencer Marketing Hub developed this tool to provide media value earning potential guidelines to Twitch streamers and brands considering working with them.
Estimated Media Value by Channel
Import Twitch User (Channel name)
Number of total Subscribers
Number of Total Video Views
Total estimated media value
Average media value / video
Drag the slider to calculate potential earnings
Average Engagement Rate
Views per Month
Views per Year
$28.50 - $47.50
$855 - $1,425
$10,403 - $17,338
How Much do Twitch Streamers Make?
Sources of Income for Twitch Streamers
InHow to Make Money on Twitch, we discussed the primary income sources available to Twitch streamers. Any Twitch streamer has the chance to make money through any combination of the following:
- Affiliate Links
- Selling Customized Merchandise
- Donations
- Sponsorship
- Tournament Winnings
Although all of the above forms of income are technically available to any Twitch streamer, you would, in reality, have to have a reasonable audience (or be an exceptionally skilled gamer) to make money using these tactics.
In reality, if you were to be successful at earning money with any of the above methods, you probably would have at the least meet the criteria to be a Twitch Affiliate:
- Stream for at least 500 minutes in the last 30 days
- Steam on at least seven days in the last 30 days
- Receive an average of three concurrent viewers per stream
- Grow your audience to 50 followers
If you meet these criteria, Twitch will automatically invite you to become an Affiliate. This will give you a few more earning opportunities:
- Twitch Bits
- Twitch Subscriptions
- Sell games, in-game items, and T-shirts from their Twitch page
Twitch has an additional level it bestows its best streamers – Twitch Partners. However, the Twitch Partnership program is exclusive - invitation only. In addition to all of the previously mentioned ways to make money, Twitch Partners can:
- Run video ads
That may not seem like a huge benefit in itself, but there are many other non-moneymaking benefits from being able to call yourself a Twitch Partner.
The Top 10 Twitch Streamers Earn More than $20M Per Year
Twitch is an extremely lucrative source of income for the top streamers. Many of the top Twitch streamers are also talented professional e-sport players, too, and the combination makes them powerful influencers to their gaming/viewing fans.
It is estimated that the top 10 Twitch streamers gross over $20 million between them.
It is important to remember these are not your stereotypical gaming bums who spend all day playing games and never find a job. They may look like the stereotype, but in reality, they are shrewd business people, who have found a way to maximize the potential of their gaming talents.
However, Twitch streamers are more than just gamers. They are entertainers. The commentaries and conversations are more critical to the viewers than any natural gaming ability. You don’t have to win every game to be a successful Twitch streamer. The fans come to the Twitch channels for the entertainment experience. Moreover, they pay for what they like.
Subscription Revenue
How Much Does A Streamer Make
Twitch Affiliates and Partners can earn a portion of the money people pay to subscribe to their channels. Affiliates can provide their subscribers with a single Sub Emote to use in the chat room. However, Twitch Partners can unlock up to 50 Sub Emotes to act as an incentive for people to subscribe at the higher levels.
Viewers can opt for one of three subscription levels - $4.99, $9.99, or $24.99. The streamer and Twitch share the subscription income, initially with a 50:50 split. Large broadcasters often receive a higher percentage of the subscription revenue, however, up to 100% in some cases.
One of the most significant benefits of subscriptions to streamers is that it provides them with a recurring income. They will continue to receive their share of a subscription payment until the subscriber actively cancels the subscription.
Successful streamers can make $3,000 to $5,000 per month from their subscribers, with the top broadcasters earning substantially more.
Bits and Cheers
Bits are Twitch’s virtual currency. Channel subscriber can buy Bits and redeem them for a range of emotes they can use to Cheer in their favorite streamers’ chatrooms. There is a range of animated emoji (called Bit gems and Cheernotes), worth varying amounts of bits. These range from a small gray Bit gem worth one bit, up to large red highly animated star Bit gems worth 10,000 bits each. Cheernotes are slightly different, as individual streamers customize these. However, they primarily work the same way.
Whenever a fan uses a Bit gem or Cheernote, Twitch pays the broadcaster at the rate of one cent per Bit.
Sale of Games and In-Game Items on Twitch
Although the direct sale of games and in-game items was initially limited to Twitch Partners, it has more recently been expanded to include Twitch Affiliates. Both Affiliates and Partners can earn a 5% share of the revenue from purchases that originate from their channel page.
When a broadcaster streams a game that is available on Twitch, an offer to buy the game or in-game items automatically appear on the channel page in an area just below the video window. Whenever one of the viewers takes up the offer, the streamer gets paid 5% of the purchase amount.
Advertising Revenue
Twitch ads operate in a similar way to those on YouTube. However, only Twitch Partners can share in the revenue from the ads. According to CNBC, advertising revenue averages about$250 per 100 subscribers, making it very lucrative for those with millions of followers.
Twitch offers standard IAB pre-roll and display advertising opportunities. They pay streamers according to the CPM model — for every 1000 views.
One thing that has reduced ad income of late has been the rise in ad blocking. However, streamers do often ask their fans to turn off Ad Block to help them.
CPM prices are highly seasonal, and the CPM price can vary significantly at different times of the year, form $2 to $10 per 10000 views. June, October, November, and December are the months when advertisers pay the most for advertising spots.
Sun palace online casino. Advertising rates differ for each streamer. Twitch drafts an individualized contract with each partnered streamer defining their personal rates and rewards. It also includes a confidentiality clause, making it difficult to establish the exact amounts that streamers earn from advertising.
Winning Prize Money
Although much of the appeal of Twitch streaming is the entertaining commentaries from the streamers, many of the broadcasters are highly skillful players. Some of them play in profession e-sports leagues. E-Sports are enormous and even enjoy dedicated television channels.
These broadcasters can make good money from winning their championship games, over and above the money, they earn from their Twitch streams.
Kuro 'KuroKy' Takhasomi has a reasonable following on Twitch with 12,186 followers, although this is much smaller than the top streamers who have millions of followers. He probably doesn’t make an enormous amount of money from the regular Twitch income earning methods. However, as captain and support player at Team Liquid Dota 2, he performs very well in e-Sports Championships. Indeed he has the highest overall earningsfrom e-Sports playing - $4,097,926.95. Over half of this ($2,172,536.60) came from winning The International (TI7) in 2017.
KuroKy has won 37 gaming tournaments, been runner-up in 13 tournaments, and made it to 3rd place or semis in a further 18 tournaments over the last decade. He is considered a top five Dota player of all time.
Estimated Earnings of the Top Twitch Streamer
The Twitch channel with the most followers is that ofNinja, aka Richard 'Tyler' Blevins, who currently has nearly 12 million followers. He plays and streams the incredibly popular Fortnite game.
Mediakix has estimatedhow much money Ninja makes from the various types of Twitch income sources. They calculate that Ninja has a yearly estimated revenue of $5,417,447, made up of:
- Subscription - $3,955,571
- Ad - $509,521
- Bit Donations - $316,354.92
- Average Sponsorship - $600,000
- Average Estimated YouTube Compensation - $36,000
These numbers may overestimate his earnings, however.Twitchstats suggest he “only” earned $19,577.10 from Bit Donations this last September, and there were months when he earned less than $10,000.
Regardless of the exact amount, it is likely that Ninja is financially very comfortable, just from playing games, and talking as he plays.
How Do Facebook Gaming Streamers Make Money?
Facebook Gaming streamers earn through crowdfunding methods such as donations, subscriptions, or Facebook’s on-platform currency, Facebook Gaming Stars. They can also potentially earn through gaming sponsorships, affiliate marketing, merchandising, and by providing stream-related services to other content creators.
Crowdfunding Opportunities for Facebook Gaming Streamers
One of the earliest ways a streamer on Facebook Gaming can earn money is through donations made by enthusiastic viewers. Fans of the broadcaster can donate by using stars, through donations, or by becoming a monthly supporter of a channel. To potentially earn stars or subscriptions, a streamer must be a part of the Level Up Program or partnered with the platform.
How to Join the Facebook Gaming Level Up Program
In order to apply for the Facebook Gaming Level Up Program, you must have met the following requirements:
- You must have an active “Gaming Video Creator” page (that must have been active for 30 or more days)
- With the game tagged, you need to stream a game for at least 4 hours in the last two weeks
- You must have streamed two or more days in the last two weeks
- You must have at least 4 hours of gaming VODs from your streams saved on your page (deleted video doesn’t count toward your total)
- 100 people or more must have followed your page
What Are Facebook Gaming Stars?
Stars are to Facebook Gaming as bits are to Twitch. They are the currency that is used on the platform to support streamers in a fun way. To use stars, a viewer must first purchase them through Facebook. They are bought for a slightly higher price than what they are worth to the streamer.
Each star can be cashed out for the equivalent of $.01 USD and will be paid to the streamer when they have reached 10,000 (or $100).
How Much Does A Streamer Make From Bits
What are Facebook Gaming Supporters?
Facebook Gaming supporters are viewers who have subscribed to the channel through the streamer’s Facebook Gaming page. Subscriptions cost $4.99 per month and can be canceled at any time. In exchange for supporting the channel, these loyal fans will receive the following incentives:
- Supporter badge – an image that will be displayed next to a viewer’s name when commenting on that channel.
- Exclusive content – many streamers will create posts exclusively for supporters. These may include polls, images, or videos. Some streamers will even occasionally broadcast live only to their supporter base.
- Custom stickers – these are similar to emotes on other platforms. They are unique to the streamer and can be used on their channel.
- Supporter group – an online group that is specifically created for supporters of the streamer.
In addition to these incentives, streamers can offer their own, such as special Discord channels and giveaway chances.
Can Facebook Gaming Streamers Collect Donations?
While viewers can’t make traditional donations through Facebook, the streamer can set up a donation system through a 3-rd party program, such as Streamlabs or Patreon. Streamlabs is a broadcasting software that is compatible with Facebook Gaming and donations made through them can be registered on the stream’s alert system. Patreon is a popular donation platform used by many content creators on the internet.
Other Ways Facebook Gaming Streamers Earn Money
In addition to crowdfunding opportunities, there are other ways that Facebook Gaming streamers can earn money. These include creating unique merchandise based on their channel’s branding, selling things through affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and special services offered to other streamers.
Create Merchandise for Your Facebook Gaming Channel
As a Facebook Gaming streamer, you can advertise your merchandise during your streams or as part of your Facebook Page’s description. If you have your own streamer website, you can advertise your merch on there are well. Here are a couple of places where you can source your own branded merch:
- SE Merch (Stream Elements merch) – allows streamers to create merchandise through their platform. You don’t have to worry about purchasing stock to have on hand. Stream Elements will fill your orders for you and provide customer service to your patrons.
- Design by Humans – you can create many things through this platform, including backpacks and mousepads. Design by Humans works with several streamers to help set up merch stores.
Sign Up for Affiliate Programs for Products You Love
If there is a product that you talk about all the time or use while you stream, write them down in the description on your page with Affiliate links to the products. If your supporters decide they want to make a purchase, they may buy the item through your link, giving you a commission.
Work with Sponsors Who Want to Support Your Channel
Once you have a solid following, look into finding streaming sponsors. Many sponsors are willing to work with smaller streamers if they are working hard to produce quality content and have a passionate following. When reaching out to (or hearing from) sponsors, make sure to work with companies you love and whose products you will be proud to represent.
When working with sponsors, it is a good idea to get a second opinion from a more experienced streamer before signing any contracts or agreeing to anything. Other streamers could tell you if the sponsors are giving you a fair deal or if they are trying to take advantage of your lack of experience.
Special Services Offered to Other Streamers
Many streamers earn a side income by helping other content creators in specialized areas. Nobody has it “all” and looking for help from someone who is more skilled in an area may be able to give you a stronger brand or channel overall. On the same note, you may have skills that you can market to other streamers.
Here are a few popular ways broadcasters earn off of each other:
Branding and Graphics
Do you have a strong eye for detail? If you create all your graphics, stickers, and branding to a professional level, you may be able to market your skills to other streamers who need to do the same. You can generally find work by joining streamer groups on Facebook or Discord and networking with other streamers.
Content Coach
If you are good at planning and executing content or attracting viewers to your stream, you could charge other streamers to learn how to better market themselves or be more entertaining. While there isn’t a huge supply or demand need for it, several streamers have been able to earn a side income through coaching streamers.
Troubleshooting Support
Even with several guides and online support for OBS, Streamlabs, or XSplit, people can encounter a lot of issues with their streaming software or stream equipment. If you are an expert at fixing either or know how to configure things in an efficient way, you can train others to do the same for a fee. The virtual casino instant play.
Video Editing
Many streamers want to upload compilation videos to YouTube but don’t know how to do it well or don’t have time to do it. If you love to edit and work it like a pro, you can pick up extra work from other streamers to create their videos for them.
Conclusion
There are several ways that people who stream on Facebook Gaming can earn money. As your content improves and you are seen by more people, your chances to earn a full time living streaming will increase.