Twitch is currently testing a new feature: Those who pay can promote their streamer’s channel and recommend it to other viewers. This is a nightmare for small streamers, who fear that this will only make the big streamers bigger. The streamer Sodapoppin uses the feature to mock: He will boost his channel like crazy, small streamers will suffer because of it. But he doesn’t care – they don’t interest anyone anyway.
What is this new feature? Currently, Twitch is testing a new feature on a small number of streamer channels:
- The feature is aimed at the viewers of selected streamers
- Viewers can “promote” the channel and thereby recommend it to other viewers: It costs $0.99 to recommend the channel to 1000 other users – and $2.97 to display the channel to 3000 others. These promoted channels would then be preferentially shown to new viewers.
- The money that the viewer spends for the boost apparently goes to Twitch.
Apparently, this idea is a revival of “Boost the Stream”; a community challenge that Twitch tried out in late 2020. At that time, “small streamers” were supposed to have the chance to get their channel discovered by more people.
Now, however, it is no longer a “community challenge” but simply costs money.
“The rich get richer” – “Pay2Win” feature
This is the reaction: This feature is primarily viewed critically by “smaller streamers”. A Twitter user says (via twitter).
“Who do you think will benefit the most from such a boost – the streamer with 2 viewers or the one with 10,000?”
Harris Heller
This seems to be seen as a big problem by some. The “big streamers” have particularly many engaged fans: There is a high probability that they will recommend and boost “their streamer” further, making him shown to even more people. This could completely obscure “small streamers” on Twitch and they may not be able to stand out at all.
A Twitter user says: (via twitter)
“This feels like a ‘the rich get richer’ feature that is being marketed as a ‘we help small streamers’ feature.
On reddit, people are discussing that it is a “Pay2Win” feature, you would pay for someone to succeed.
Twitch is criticized for not promoting the “discoverability” of new good streamers – but instead just “selling” the system now. A reddit user asks:
“Why fix discoverability – when you can just sell it?”
In the worst case, streamers could specifically ask their fans to boost their channel. In principle, this is like “legal view-botting” – other fans would pay bots to push their streamer, now it could be done legally.
Especially the fans of female streamers are accused of being “simps”, doing everything to please their female streamer. Such a system could particularly target these fans, who then spend money to make sure everyone can see their female streamer.
Big streamer mocks: “Stay small and screw you, nerds!”
This is how a big streamer reacts: Chance “Sodapoppin” Morris (3.1 million followers, 47,000 viewers on average) mocks the new system and says:
“No one cares about small streamers, that’s why they don’t get viewers. I will boost my channel like crazy to stay on top. Stay small and screw you, nerds!”
Sodapoppin
Sodapoppin is known as a mocker and troll. Therefore, this is probably not meant seriously, but it highlights the problem.
What would prevent a savvy streamer like Sodapoppin or the streamer Amouranth from using this system to boost their own channel via two accounts and thereby dominate Twitch even more than they already do?
What happens next? Currently, the “feature” is just a test that is already receiving devastating reactions.
It seems pretty certain that this new feature from Twitch will not go live as it is. Twitch has repeatedly launched trial balloons in the past and quickly shot them down when the reactions were too harsh.
