An Advertiser's Guide to Twitch
Everything you need to know to utilize the internet's largest live streaming platform for your brand.
A presentation at TwitchCon 2017. TwitchCon is a yearly convention that celebrates everything Twitch.
Twitch reaches a huge audience, yet it is an under-utilized advertising platform. This guide solves four problems that are identified with advertising on Twitch:
- Advertisers and media buyers don't know about Twitch or why it's important
- The negative stereotypes of gamers and internet culture scares brands
- There are no widely accepted best practices for advertising on Twitch or identifying Twitch influencers
- There are few public examples of advertising success on the platform.
Parts of a Stream
The average stream consists of the main video, an additional webcam with a view of the streamer (optional), and the Twitch chat to the right of the main video.
Each broadcaster has their own "channel" page, which can be customized with information about the streamer and rules for the channel. This information is found below the main video and often contains links to the streamer's social media accounts and sponsors.
An example of the Channel page, found below the streaming video.
As An Advertiser, Why Should I Care?
Twitch reaches 50% of the millennial males in America.4
That's not a typo. 50% of millennial males in America use Twitch. If you want to reach millennial males (which odds are, you do) Twitch is a good place to do it.
- 15 million daily active users
- 2.2+ million unique content creators per month
- 106 minutes watched per person per day
- 2+ million peak concurrent site wide viewers
In 2016, a total of 292 billion minutes of video was watched on Twitch and 14.2 billion chat messages were sent by viewers during streams.5 This resulted in Twitch commanding 1.8% of peak US internet traffic; the fourth highest overall, ahead of Hulu, Facebook and parent company Amazon. 6
Below is an example of how a brand can collaborate with a Twitch influencer. During the live stream, 37,000 people watched the popular streamer Dr. Disrespect sing a song about Gilette. This type of organic mentioning of brands leads to huge results, as many viewers trust the streamers they watch and value their opinion.
The Culture of Video Games and Streaming
"There is this huge demographic of folks who play games and are happy to interact with content based on games. They don't have to be actively playing a game to interact with that game." -Kevin Lin
Twitch co-founder and COO Kevin Lin calls this new way to interact with gaming a cultural phenomenon - something tied to a new generation of gamers and how they engage with the things that matter to them.7
For Sam Machkovech, Culture Editor at ArsTechnica, a lot of the appeal of Twitch is a return to the kind of social situations experienced in the arcades of his youth. In the arcade, a crowd would form around someone playing a certain game, and people would discuss the game while waiting for their turn. Live streaming virtualizes this experience, letting viewers chat with other viewers about gameplay that might be well above their own skill level.8
While cultures might differ depending on individual streams, there are common characteristics of the Twitch Community. Twitch users are enthusiastic about the games they watch and the communities they are a part of.
Gamers are:
The old stereotype of gamers is gone. Today's gamers are connected to the world around them.
The majority of Americans (63%) have played a game on a console, computer, or mobile device in the past 60 days.9
Twitch has an extremely passionate user-base, with the average user watching over 100 minutes a day. Twitch is centered around live video, allowing the audience to watch real gameplay and hear real-time feedback from the streamer. Because of this "in the moment" type of broadcast, Twitch viewers expect genuine reactions from streamers. Authenticity is the key to most influencer-audience relationships, so it's no surprise that this genuineness is a major factor on Twitch.10 The video and emote aspects of Twitch allows humor and sarcasm to translate well within the platform. Overall, people watch Twitch for entertainment, to gain information about topics/products they are interested in and to interact with broadcasters and other viewers who share similar interests.
Twitch users, ads and charity
Twitch users are passionate about supporting causes they believe in. In this way, Twitch users are open to advertising on the platform, because ads support their favorite broadcasters.
- 82% of Twitch users say sponsorships are good for the gaming industry
- 80% of Twitch users are open to brands sponsoring a specific gamer or team11
Similarly, philanthropic initiatives have been received with immense success on Twitch. Many of these events are community driven, providing brands with a unique opportunity to participate in something their audience feels strongly about.
- 78% of Twitch users want to see more charity in gaming
- $65+ million has been raised by the Twitch community for charity11
Charities that have been supported by the Twitch community include the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, (RED) in the fight to end AIDS, the American Red Cross and many more.
The Twitch Community is unique in its receptiveness to advertising and public relations efforts. Follow the latest news about charitable activity on Twitch here.
Twitch's Scope
Twitch is available to watch on PC, tablets, mobile devices and popular gaming consoles.
Currently users can broadcast on Twitch from PC and gaming consoles as well as mobile devices. Mobile broadcasts have been gaining popularity on Twitch with the addition of IRL (In Real Life) Streams. IRL streams often take viewers along to exclusive places or events, or simply invite viewers into their daily lives.
Twitch users are attached to their media devices in and out of their homes. Therefore it's critical that they can access Twitch wherever they go.
"Gamers are far more likely to use these gadgets regularly—regardless of location. In almost every instance, gamers are three times more likely to use their devices when outside their household than non-gamers."
Twitch's audience continues to grow despite a downturn in the consumption of more traditional video media.
Streamer/Chat Interaction
A large part of community building on Twitch stems from the broadcaster interacting with viewers through chat. Usually this takes the form of the streamer vocally responding to user messages typed in chat. Research suggests that consumers view streamers as important sources of information.14 Viewers can ask specific questions in chat that the streamer will see and answer. With larger audiences, users often attach their questions with monetary donations to ensure that the streamer will notice their message.
Often when a streamer is sponsored by a particular brand, viewers in the chat will ask about these brands. Jaryd "Summit1G" Lazar is sponsored by Monster Energy Drinks, and streams with a Monster mini fridge visible behind him. Viewers often ask him about his favorite flavors of the drinks and about new flavors being released.
Similarly, Guy "Dr. Disrespect" Beahm is sponsored by G-Fuel Energy Drinks. Dr. Disrespect often begins his streams by drinking G-Fuel on camera. These two streamers are polar opposites in personalities, and use these differing personalities to promote similar products in their own way.
Chat Sentiment
The fast pace and sheer number of Twitch chat messages make them difficult to analyze for sentiment using text alone. However, the wide use of emotes across Twitch allow for insights into viewer reaction and sentiment. Twitch has a unique set of emotes that can be used in chat across the platform, and each streamer can also make custom emotes based on the number of subscribers their channel has. These emotes generally carry the same meaning throughout different settings and languages, making them an ideal measuring tool in capturing the sentiment of Twitch viewers in chat.17
The most popular emote on Twitch is 
“Kappa” which indicates sarcasm.18 In 2016, Kappa was used in 413 million chat messages.5 Other notable emotes include 
“PogChamp” which usually denotes excitement or awe in relation to a success and 
“AngryJack” which is a depiction of the brand mascot for the fast-food chain Jack in the Box.17 AngryJack is an example of the many different ways brands can advertise on Twitch. From Nov. 2, 2017 to Jan. 8, 2018, the AngryJack emote was used 275,000 times, or an average of 4435 times a day.19 “DoritoChip” 
was the most-used branded emote, with 1,057,000 times between Nov. 2, 2017 and Jan. 8, 2018, for an average of 17,330 times a day in that span.
: 636,: 324,
: 112
In the video above, we can see two things. One, is the amount of viewer interaction when Shroud asks viewers to subscribe to his Youtube channel, and the second is the use of emotes during memorable situations. The use of "ShroudHype" "PogChamp" and "ShroudInsane" suggest excitement as the streamer's Youtube subscribers approach 1 million. Over 1000 emotes were used in a total of 464 chat messages, meaning that most commenters used multiple emotes to express their feeling during this moment.20
: 115
In this video, we can see a competitor in the Overwatch League putting hand warmers over his eyes to the delight of the crowd and bewilderment of the casters. Twitch chat reacted to this humorous moment by sending 206 chat messages, 50% of which included the "LuL" emote. 21
: 151
Emotes aren't just used for exciting moments. In the video above, we see viewers reacting to League of Legends player Alex 'Xpecial' Chu's emotional post-game interview. Out of 238 total messages, 151 contained the "BibleThump" emote, which is often used to convey sadness. 22
These are easy to understand instances where the use of emotes can give insights to overall chat sentiment. Twitch emotes are used to express a broad range of emotions. Twitch has conducted a meta analysis of emote use.
Using Twitch API Data to Identify Influencers
Twitch has over 2 million content creators streaming video each month. With so many streamers and no good way to identify influencers, finding the right influencer for your brand can be quite the task. Remember, 10% of streamers account for 95% of the viewers on Twitch. 3
Using viewing data from Twitch's API, one can easily identify these top 10% of streamers by a variety of metrics such as concurrent viewers or channel followers. Since Twitch broadcasters are from all over the world, one can also see which streamers are most popular at what times. Other information that is available from the Twitch API is the most popular games being broadcasted.
For the data below, a data scraper was created to pull information from the Twitch API every 15 minutes and record it in a spreadsheet. This data scraper ran for 56 consecutive days, from Nov. 13, 2017 to Jan. 8, 2018. Viewing data from the top 15 games on Twitch, as well as the top 15 broadcasters for each game, was pulled. The complete dataset is available here.
In 56 days, Twitch garnered 2.35 billion views. During data collection, there was never a 15-minute span when something wasn't being broadcasted and viewed on Twitch. In the graphics below, you can visualize the #1 games on Twitch by percentage and a list of times each game was in the Top 5 in viewers.
During the time data was collected, League of Legends was by far the most popular game on Twitch. Just because a game wasn't the #1 game on Twitch, doesn't mean there aren't a significant amount of viewers watching. By looking at the games that are consistently in the top 5 in viewers, one can see a broader perspective on the most popular games. Tracking this data over time can give insight into up and coming titles. As an example, during data collection, the game Fortnite began its rise to being one of the most popular titles on Twitch.
×
![]()
Top Streamers across multiple games
This list is of streamers who were in the top 15 in viewers for 3 or more games. This means the broadcaster has a large audience devoted to the streamer and not a particular game. The data shows that the most popular games fluctuate, but these streamers stay popular no matter what the newest game may be.
- Summit1G
- LIRIK
- TimTheTatman
- resttpowered
- sheviiioficial
- Shroud
- ASUSROG
- coscu
- Destiny
- Frankkaster
- JASONR
- Ninja
- Sodapoppin
Even this list is bound to change. Not mentioned on the list of "variety" streamers are Tyler1, an extremely popular League of Legends streamer, and Dr. Disrespect, who gained popularity playing H1Z1 and PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS. In Tyler1's case, even though he attracted over 100,000 viewers each time he streamed, he only broadcasted 13 times in the 56 day period, leaving his overall viewing numbers lower than those who broadcasted more consistently. Data from the Twitch API lets you easily see the most popular streamers for each game, and analyze who the best influencer is for your brand.
These streamers are not on this list by accident. Many of them have been full-time streamers for years. Some transition to streaming after retiring from their professional gaming career. All of these streamers know what it takes to build a community around their channel and entertain large audiences. Out of the 13 influencers listed above, 12 are males between the ages of 20-30. This doesn't mean Twitch isn't a place female influencers however, as ASUSROG highlights the gameplay of Janet "xChocoBars" Rose. WCG's Ultimate Gamer season 2 winner Kat "Mystik" Gunn also enjoys success streaming for large audiences. These popular streamers have a variety of personalities, which means the streamer with the most viewers might not always be the best influencer to partner with.
Data and Influencers
- Use viewing data to identify current influencers or rising stars
- Match desired brand voice with the personalities of influencers
- Build relationships with streamers and their communities
After this data was collected, the game Fortnite's popularity exploded, and with it, long-time broadcaster Ninja became the most-watched streamer on Twitch. Ninja set the record for most concurrent viewers on an individual's account with over 600,000 people watching at once while he played Fortnite with hip hop star Drake.
A screenshot of Ninja's stream with over 600,000 viewers.
During this time, the top 5 trending things on Twitter in the United States were related to the Twitch stream. This was an unpredictable occurrence on Twitch, but monitoring data from the Twitch API could help your brand identify up and coming streamers to partner with and put your brand in the best position to take advantage of situations like this one. 
Advertising on Twitch without Influencers
If an organization does not want to use influencers on Twitch as an avenue for their messaging, there are still ways to reach Twitch's audience. Somewhere in between having an influencer spokesperson and static banner ads is an interesting opportunity for brands: creating your own content.
This means joining the 2.2 million broadcasters already on Twitch and starting to stream. As a brand, you already have advantages over the average Twitch broadcast - you have an audience, a production budget and a creative team or agency who can implement your strategies. Unlike most channels, brand produced streams do not need to stream consistently to attract viewers.
In 2015, Old Spice created the "Old Spice Nature Adventure" on Twitch. This was a promotion where viewers could take control of a man’s actions in the woods for three days by sending messages in the Twitch chat.
The live stream amassed 2.65 million total views, with 1.4 million viewers in the chat taking part to see what happened next for the Nature Man. The top commenter sent 1,900 different chat messages over the course of the streams.
Of the total views, 57% came from unique users, with 702,920 total unique viewers for the three days, and around 88,000 uniques per hour.
Over the course of the three-day event, approximately 29 years of footage was watched by all the viewers, and the exclusive Old Spice chat emotes were used over 105,000 times.
In addition to the live viewer numbers, the three days of the Nature Adventure were viewed an additional 91,000 times on YouTube.23
The success of this campaign led Old Spice to utilize Twitch for several other campaigns.
Pulling off something like this obviously takes time. Brands newer to the platform might want to consider familiarizing themselves with the culture around Twitch before they attempt a full-blown event like Old Spice. A large part of the success of Old Spice's Twitch campaigns is building hype around the event using other popular social media platforms such as Twitter and Reddit. These campaigns can also be reinforced by more traditional advertising.
Before you start your stream
Know your memes
Memes and pop culture are mainstays of communicating on the internet and Twitch is no different. It's important to know Twitch emote meanings and popular memes, because you'll definitely encounter them on stream.
Expect the unexpected
There's no way to predict exactly how your stream will be received. Be ready to think on your feet while interacting your viewers.
Have a plan
Even though it's difficult to predict what the reaction will be to your stream, you should still have a solid plan for your content. Know how to get things back on track if something goes astray. A good plan should include a schedule, content for audience interaction, viewer rules/chat moderation, and goals.
Test your equipment
The worst thing that can happen is a technical difficulty mid-stream, causing you to lose your viewers. Test out your equipment before you go live, this includes your internet connection! If your stream does go dark, quickly utilize Twitch chat to keep your audience informed and engaged.
Give viewers a reason to watch and come back
This boils down to having a goal for your stream. Engaging content is the best way to attract and retain viewers to your stream. Giveaways or rewards are great ways to get viewers involved. Giveaways can range from coupons to merchandise or in-game items. Giveaways and some chat moderation can easily be set up using this free tool.
When Things Go Wrong
Recently, Kentucky Fried Chicken sponsored a tournament on Twitch that involved the game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and its use of the phrase "Winner winner chicken dinner" when players earn victories. In this event, popular streamers competed, and when a streamer won, viewers could use a branded emote, 
for a chance to win KFC gift cards.
The event itself went well, with viewers using the emote as intended. Unfortunately, the KFC 'bucket of chicken' emote was used in a racist context by some viewers throughout the rest of Twitch. The KFC emote was a "global" emote, meaning that it was available to use on channels that had nothing to do with the promotion. The negative use of this emote on Twitch garnered negative media attention, along with some popular streamers banning the use of the emote on their channels altogether. In the end, the branded KFC emote was removed from Twitch after the promoted event, but the negative feedback on the emote most likely played a role in its removal.
This is an example of why advertising and marketing teams need to be familiar with the potential risks of creating content on Twitch, as well as the many options for customization on the platform. The negative impact, in this case, might have been mitigated if the emote was tied to the individual streamer's channels. Having a communication plan in place before the promotion would have also helped reduce backlash. It is impossible to think of everything that might go wrong, but it's best to be prepared in case something does.
This is an example of why advertising and marketing teams need to be familiar with the potential risks of creating content on Twitch, as well as the many options for customization on the platform. The negative impact, in this case, might have been mitigated if the emote was tied to the individual streamer's channels. Having a communication plan in place before the promotion would have also helped reduce backlash. It is impossible to think of everything that might go wrong, but it's best to be prepared in case something does.
Traditional Advertising on Twitch
Twitch offers a variety of options for more traditional advertising on the platform. Both video and banner ads are available in an array of placements throughout the site, allowing your brand to pinpoint exactly what users you want for your target audience. Full specifications for each of the Twitch ad placements below can be found here.
A video ad on a Twitch channel. Often video ads play when a viewer first loads the page.
Home Page Takeover
- Background Skin
- 970 x 250 Billboard
- Sizzle Strip
- 300 x 250 Medium Rectangle
- Billboard
- 300 x 250 Medium Rectangle
- Half Page Banner
The Homepage is what users first see when they navigate to twitch.tv. In the graphic above, you can see users see a different version of the homepage when they are logged in with their Twitch account. The Homepage works as a dashboard for Twitch users, where they can see featured streamers as well as which channels they follow are live. 24
Super Leaderboard
The super leaderboard keeps viewers engaged while they search for content.25
Medium Rectangle
The medium rectangle ad unit keeps viewers engaged as they scroll and explore content.26
Synced Ads
The synced unit option allows you to amplify your creative assets by letting them interact with one another.27
Homepage Carousel
Promote your live stream channel content on the homepage in a rotating carousel, along with an accompanying thumbnail for your brand.28
Get Started Advertising on Twitch
Now that you know the basics, the advertising team at Twitch can help you level up. Below is the general advertising contact and information about Twitch's sales leadership.
Start by emailing Twitch's Advertising Team at:
advertising@twitch.tv
Jonathan Simpson-Bint
Chief Revenue Officer / Jonathan came to the US in 1993 and launched a number of highly successful products including web portals IGN.com and DailyRadar. Jonathan became president of Future US and oversaw a period of significant growth for the company fueled by acquisitions in the games, music and sports markets as well as overseeing the company’s success in becoming official publisher to Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Jonathan joined Twitch in September 2011 where he led the company’s hugely successful in-game integration program.29
Kym Nelson
Senior VP, Sales / Kym previously served as Vice President, west coast sales at IGN Entertainment. In this role, she led the company’s award-winning advertising sales team in developing strategic digital marketing programs that delivered superior return on investment for leading game publishers, advertisers and agencies, and offered game publishers unique digital marketing campaigns that combined social marketing with content marketing integrations.29
Anthony Danzi
Senior VP, Client Strategy / Anthony served as the VP of Publishing at Future and the VP of Advertising Sales at Scout. He has an impressive record of developing new revenue streams across a variety of platforms, and specializes on creative selling, brand building, and content collaboration.29
Steve Ford
VP Sales, Europe / Steve joined Twitch in July 2015 as VP Sales, Europe. Steve came from Reuters where he headed up sales for the EMEA region and previous to that, ran multimedia teams for the Daily Telegraph. Steve has built successful teams from the ground up, including operational and programmatic departments. Focusing on creativity, innovation and service, Steve has worked with major clients and agencies from around world to deliver groundbreaking integrated campaigns across multiple platforms.29
Contacting Influencers
Many influencers on Twitch have business emails listed in their profiles. If this is not the case, use their channel page to navigate to the influencer's social media pages and send them a direct message.