On most popular streaming platforms, you will probably encounter ad breaks, and that’s no different from Twitch ads.
That’s why today, I’ll talk about Twitch ad revenue, what kind of ad breaks there are on Twitch, and just how watching ads works for Twitch viewers and streamers alike and how to run ads on Twitch as well.
Table of Contents
Can Twitch Affiliates Run Ads?
First and foremost, to be able to have ad breaks, Twitch users need to be in the Affiliate Program for the ad revenue to come to them.
You can opt for manually running ads, or your regular running ad breaks could be automatic.
Affiliates overall get only a small cut of the ad revenue, and in order for them to get a monthly payout, they need to get at least $100 of ad revenue.
How Running Ads On Twitch Works?
Depending on the target audience of the channel will be different; the types of ads that are shown and ad breaks depend on the Twitch community and the followers themselves.
Like any other influencer marketing, Twitch advertising also differs from viewer to viewer.
So, it’s not only the Twitch influencers and the content creation that has an impact on this.
Watching ads and pre-rolls is something that usually occurs only for the viewers who only follow the account and not for other viewers who are subscribers of the channel.
However, this is also something that can differ from channel to channel, as Twitch streamers can change this up, but in most cases, not everyone will get the ad breaks.
If you are a Twitch streamer and you do play ads, just be sure that you inform your viewers before these breaks happen, as it can mean a lot for their user experience.
And, I assume you would want your viewers to have the best experience possible.
Types Of Twitch Ads
On Twitch, you actually can get several types of ads, and knowing a bit more about this could be useful no matter if you are a viewer, a streamer, or a brand who wants to start doing marketing over on Twitch.
So, let’s see what all of the ad types that you can expect to have on Twitch are.
1. Cross-Screen Video Ads
Firstly, we have cross-screen ads, and as the name entails, this type of ad is one that can be played on both a computer and a phone, so you can have them appear on all kinds of devices.
There are unskippable cross-screen ads, and there are also mid-roll ones, the first being the ones that last 30 seconds and the second 60.
With this kind of ad, you will have the ability to check different parameters through third-party services, so a lot of advertisers are usually fans of them.
2. Desktop Video Ads
This kind of ad is the kind that gets automatically and directly into the broadcast that’s being shared on a desktop computer, and they can also occur as mid-roll ads and as pre-rolls.
Besides that, they share all of the qualities that the previous kind has.
3. Homepage Carousel
This kind of ad is dedicated to streams that are happening on Twitch.
On the homepage, there will be several different streams advertised with small thumbnails and short descriptions, so a lot of channels can gain traction this way.
4. Homepage Headliner
As the name implies, these are the ads that have the main place on Twitch’s homepage once you come on the site.
The sizes and placements may vary, but what they all have in common is the fact that they have to have two end images and a hex color code.
They also have to have a color gradient fade, and they have space left for branding.
These ads also need to be either JPG or PNG, have to have less than 150KB, and their size can be 450×350 megapixels.
5. Medium Rectangle
These medium rectangle ads are the ones that appear when people are deciding what to watch and are scrolling through a lot of the content on Twitch.
There are also some requirements for these ads, and they include not being larger than 100KB, having 250×300 megapixels, and being in either JPG, PNG, or GIF format.
If the ad is animated, it can be 15 seconds long, or it can last for 3 loops
6. Mobile Video
As the name suggests, these are the video ads that appear on the Twitch app.
Similar to a lot of other ads, they can be 30 seconds long and unskippable or 60-second long mid-rolls.
7. Super Leaderboard
If you’ve ever come across ads that are on the top of the screen, then these are the super leaderboard ads.
These kinds of ads stay active even while people are just scrolling through Twitch and trying to decide what it is that they want to watch, so that’s a big benefit of these ads when you look at it from the advertiser’s perspective.
The only requirement for these ads is that they need to have the typical banner dimension and that they last either 15 seconds or 3 loops if they have animations.
8. SureStream
This kind of ad is actually the favorite among advertisers, and there are good reasons why.
They are automatically added to the broadcast, rather than something that’s added separately, so that means people who watch will see them during the stream they are watching.
They are not a separate layer, and just as most ads here, they can either be 60-second long mid-rolls or unskippable, 30-second long ads.
9. Multiplayer Twitch Ads
These are probably the most exciting ads from this list, as they are still something that’s in beta.
The idea for these ads is that they can be interactive ads, and basically, every time one of these ads appears, multiple people will see the same ad at the same time.
After the ad is done, people will get the ability to vote in a poll in real-time, and each time someone votes, the streamer on whose stream this happens will be awarded Bits.
In the end, a small celebration occurs.
How To Run Ads On Twitch – Step By Step
Now, if you want to run any kind of ads on your channel, you will have to set that up.
But, don’t worry, as this process is a very easy one to go through.
Here are the easy steps that you need to follow:
And that’s it. That’s how you can manually run ads on your stream.
Something that you should probably take into consideration is that when you run a 30-second ad, you’re disabled from running another ad for 10 minutes.
In the same manner, when you run a 60-second ad, you have to wait at least another 20 minutes for the next one.
If you have a stream deck, then you can add the ad quick action to be on it, and once you do this, you are going to be able to run 30-second ads every 3 minutes. I don’t recommend that you really do this, but it is something that becomes possible.
How To Disable Pre-Roll Ads On Twitch Streams
One of the benefits of being among the Affiliates in Twitch’s program is that you are able to disable ads completely from your channel if that’s something that you think will be a good thing for your viewers’ experience.
To be able to have these automatic ads disappear from your streams, you will have to schedule regular ad breaks during them.
This means that during your stream, you can have a singular ad break that your viewers will be completely aware of, and it can actually be a great opportunity for all of you to take a break if you need it.
To do this, you need to go through the following steps:
Conclusion
Running ads on Twitch may not be the biggest part of your income, but it certainly can be an important addition to whatever you get each month.
While some new viewers might not enjoy this during the live streaming, it is important for you to earn money from the live broadcasts you do.
However, most people are used to ads on the Internet, so having them on Twitch should be the least of your worries.
Twitch offers lots of options on the platform, so you can have a lot of good ads depending on current trends, pop culture, and the size audience you have.
Overall, ads on Twitch are very easy to utilize, and you can get a lot of benefits from having them.
FAQ
How much does it cost to run an ad on Twitch?
There is no specific answer to this question, as it depends on a lot of factors, like where is the majority of the viewers and, which streams your products get advertised on, and even more factors that come into play.
Is it worth running ads on Twitch?
Twitch has a lot of different options for ad types, and having in mind the fact that they even try to integrate interactive ads, it’s very worth it to give this platform a chance when deciding where to advertise your product.
