TwitchCon 2018 is done and gone, and I am surprised by the lack of discussion about two key metrics released by Twitch at the opening Keynote:
235,000+ New Affiliates
6,800+ New Partners
These two numbers may have been overshadowed by the new features announcement of Squad Stream and the vastly improved moderation tools, but it’s more likely that these numbers provide during the keynote, without context, mean absolutely nothing to the majority of Twitch’s Community. So let me provide some context and also why you should care.
At the beginning of this year, Twitch released a fact sheet touting it’s numbers, which to those of us that are very number’s and business minded was a welcome change from the cringe web based “game” with vanity milestones of the year past. So let’s review:
Full 2017 fact sheet released by Twitch can be found here.
2017 was the year where they released the affiliate program, which was unveiled in April of 2017 as a stepping stone to the coveted Partnership, and a way for their broadcasters to earn revenue as they get themselves to that final form. So let’s talk about that final form, Partnership.
In 2013, there was only 5100+ Partners, so announcing that in 2018 there are 6800+ new partners may sound like a lot, but that growth pales in comparison to 2017. According to Twitch, in April of 2017 they had roughly 17k partners, but closed the year out with the above number of 27k+ partners. Quick maths, that’s an addition of 10k partners in an eight month period; however, in this 10 month period from the start of 2018 until the keynote, only 6800 new partnerships were issued. That’s a 33% decline, which to a broadcaster working hard to create great content to attain that partnership status, can be deflating. This can be made worse, when you realize that Twitch gives no context as to where from these new partners came. Part of the huge growth of 2017 partnerships on Twitch was due to the YouTube Adpocalypse.
Twitch saw an opportunity to bring some of the eyes from YouTube to the platform, and partnered a lot of established YouTubers. While some YouTubers, due to contracts have stayed on the platform, like Markiplier and JackSepticEye, once things settled down and YouTube started to implement Twitch-like features such as “sponsorship”, a lot of YouTubers went back to YouTube, ex. PewDiePie and his NetGear “show”. Twitch is still also actively recruiting partners outside of its broadcaster pool. Still trying entice or poach social media personalities or large content creators of other platforms onto the site. Furthermore, they are approaching brands, news organizations and traditional media celebrities with offers of partnership. So, of the 6800+ new partners, how many of those were affiliates that have “made it”?
Without that vital metric, we don’t know how successful the affiliate program really is. This means if we just do straight math with the new numbers provided at the keynote, at end of this year, Twitch will have roughly 385k+ affiliates (157% increase) and 33,800 partners (25% increase). There is an obvious difference between the growth of affiliates and partners. Furthermore, while all 235k new affiliates had to earn that status this year, meaning they were active on the platform this year; how many of those 33800 partners still stream in 2018?
Once a partner, always a partner.
Unless you violate TOS or your partner contract, you stay a partner forever. Examples I used earlier of PewDiePie and his NetGear “show”, are both taking up two of those coveted Partner slots, but have not streamed at all in 2018. The CEO of Twitch during the keynote, made a reference that as Justin.tv (Twitch’s beginning form) celebrates 11 years this year, only 126 OG partners from that platform are still actively streaming on Twitch. The year before Justin.tv died (2014), there were 5100 partners. That would mean only 2.5% of the partners from five years ago are still streaming on Twitch. Considering how many affiliates are so hungry for partnership, that number rings hollow.
So let’s talk about affiliates. Brands are still learning about Twitch. With it’s growth in marketshare really only exploding since 2016, non-game related brands still aren’t sure about investing in Twitch’s platform or influencers, and those that are, gaming and non-gaming alike, are looking for that Twitch check mark. Even if you are an affiliate pulling solid numbers with a strong community, the majority of brands will still turn you away without that checkmark, unless you are exceptional at marketing or business, or have recognized metrics on other platforms. Twenty percent of Twitch’s two million broadcasters are affiliates. I heard more than one exhibitor at TwitchCon say “Everyone has a Blue Badge.” If it’s perceived that everyone has is, then what about it makes it special.
This can be felt even within the realm of affiliates. While at first excited at the prospect of earning money thorough Twitch when the affiliate program was announced in 2018, it seems in the last eighteen months, those that became affiliates near launch their feelings have soured towards the program. However, new affiliates, those earning it this year, were very proud of becoming and being an affiliate. This maybe, because as I mention earlier, Twitch isn’t providing one key metric, and hiding another.
How many of the new partners were affiliates?
How many of the 33,800 Partners actively stream on Twitch?
Large numbers LOOK better. Accurate numbers ARE better.
I’m still very interested in seeing the year in review for the end of 2018, and I really would like Twitch to answer both of those questions I just asked in it. I would also love to hear from you reading this, what you think about what I discussed and also about the questions I asked in the comments below.