The 28-year-old streamer Crunkmuffin struggles with the fact that Twitch takes 50% of the revenue. She demands that Twitch should leave every streamer, even the small ones, with a share of 70%. Close to tears, she complains to the viewers about her plight: They do give her enough money, but Twitch is so greedy.
How much revenue does Twitch take?
- Twitch takes 50% of the revenue that streamers receive from donations and subscriptions.
- Some of the biggest streamers currently have a deal that guarantees them 70% of the revenue.
- But even this deal will change in summer 2023; then even the big streamers will only receive the current 70% of the revenue for the first $100,000, after which even these exceptional streamers will drop to a 50:50 deal.
“Twitch is literally taking half of my money”
This is what a streamer says: The relatively small Twitch streamer Crunkmuffin from the USA finds this distribution unfair. In a Twitch clip she posted on Twitter, she says:
Why doesn’t Twitch stop taking half of the money you give me? Am I being unreasonable? […] You are paying me enough, you are paying me more than enough to be here. It’s not on you. But here I am, and I have to tell you how Twitch is literally taking half of my money.
The streamer further elaborates on Twitter:
- People need to know that she doesn’t even earn $4,000 a month. If she were to earn $4,000 a month, she would hire an editor to help improve her channel, for instance, when she shows Dungeons & Dragons content.
- The situation makes her feel like she’s not entertaining enough when it’s Twitch as a company that is the problem, not caring enough and “holding her back”.
- The streamer is frustrated: When she is on air for 15 hours and people pay her well, she ends up with a salary like for a “9 to 5 job” (via twitter).
This is her demand: Crunkmuffin demands that Twitch grants all streamers a 70:30 split for the first $100,000. Taking half is not fair.
How is it being discussed? Crunkmuffin’s post is being discussed in various ways:
- Many agree that a 50% cut is really high.
- Others say: Twitch also provides the infrastructure and charges for it. One person adds: A streamer of her size causes Twitch about $25,000 just in data consumption. Twitch is not a ‘profitable company’.
- Many also advise her to generate revenue through other platforms like Patreon and through sponsorships from which Twitch takes a smaller share.
This is how it continued: After she posted her frustration on Twitter and international media picked it up, it wasn’t long before she started streaming on the Twitch competitor Kick.
They then also responded via Twitter, saying “The problem has been solved.” They published Crunkmuffin’s new streaming channel on Kick. (via twitter)
What is Kick? Kick is a streaming platform that aims to establish itself as a competitor to Twitch and has managed to attract some controversial Twitch streamers. Recently, alongside Adin Ross and Trainwreck, Corinna Kopf has also made the switch.
Behind the platform is a gambling casino that has been banned on Twitch – apparently, “Kick” wants to be a haven for people who struggle with Twitch.
