Twitch Top Broadcaster Program
Since the creation of Twitch in June 2011 (and for a select few back with the launch of JTV in August 2009), thousands of broadcasters have fired up their webcams, logged into their favorite game, and started broadcasting. In that time, we’ve seen the success of thousands of broadcasters, witnessed many record-breaking events, been a part of some of the most epic game launches in history, and have become the go-to place for charities to raise millions of dollars through online gaming.
While we’ve always taken pride in our broadcasters, supporting them throughout their journeys, we’ve decided to make a more public appreciation in those who have spent hundreds (and to some, thousands) of hours dedicating time and energy to putting the best live gaming content on Twitch. After months of planning, we’re really excited to announce the new Twitch Top Broadcaster Program.
You may be asking, “What does a top broadcaster actually look like?” We all know that success cannot be defined by a single metric; success comes in a variety of ways. By analyzing the data of over a dozen different areas of Twitch, we were able to determine that the most relevant areas to define success for our broadcasters come down to seven stats. Looking at the averages of each month on a quarterly basis, these are: Minutes Watched, Hours Broadcast, Total Followers, Total Subscribers, Subscriber Growth, Average Concurrents, and Max Peak Concurrents. Broadcasters who reach four of these seven top areas will be considered a Twitch Top Broadcaster.
By looking at these various metrics and allowing broadcasters to peak in any four, we open ourselves up to recognizing many different types of broadcasters. A broadcaster who regularly streams a few days a week, carries 3,000 concurrents, and is seen as being in the top of their field, but only has 30,000 followers will be recognized. That broadcaster is equally as important to one who has grown from a few dozen viewers to a few hundred by broadcasting many hours a day daily over the past quarter. We’re also able to recognize those channels that carry huge concurrent averages, though they may only stream a few days per month.
The overall premise is that there isn’t ONE type of success on Twitch, and that success comes to both large and small channels. Twitch’s landscape thrives because of the diversity of our broadcasters and we want to ensure we’re able to recognize and reward as many of those types as possible.
“So what are the rewards?!” The first is exclusive new SWAG. We have designed a one-of-a-kind Twitch track jacket embroidered with Glitch and our logo, which proudly displays that the wearer is a Twitch Top Broadcaster. We will never sell these! We’re also working on more epic perks: Forever VIP to Twitch parties, opportunities with some of our corporate partners, and a few other surprises we can’t mention just yet.
We’ll be analyzing channels twice per year, in July and January. We’re just a few short weeks away from opening up our first round, and we’re hoping to see a sea of purple track jackets at PAX Prime. Partners can expect an email in the first half of July!
Today is just a brief overview of this new program, which we expect will grow and evolve over time. We look forward to continuing to evaluate the broadcasting landscape to recognize our broadcasters for your own successes and to those we are able to experience with you.