Twitch, the Amazon-owned live-streaming platform, recently updated its branded content guidelines, sparking controversy among its community of streamers. The changes will require streamers to disclose all sponsored content and limit the use of certain types of branded content.
While Twitch claims that the changes are meant to promote transparency and authenticity, many streamers are concerned about the impact on their ability to earn a living from their content.
What is allowed?
- Branded window on your Channel Page
- Promoting products in your stream.
- Playing sponsored games.
- Endorsing services.
- Using links to promote products/services.
With said guidelines, streamers won’t enjoy the same freedom they once had regarding branded content given the new guidelines will restrict several aspects of brand promotion including the specific dimensions of sponsored logos displayed during streams and broader limitations such as the prohibition of banner ads and pre-recorded video ads on Twitch.
The Changes Explained
Under the new guidelines, streamers must disclose all sponsored content using Twitch’s built-in disclosure tool or by including a clear and conspicuous disclosure in their stream title or chat. Additionally, streamers are limited in their use of certain types of branded content, including pre-roll ads, mid-roll ads, and sponsorships that require viewers to take specific actions, such as following a brand on social media or visiting a website.
By requiring streamers to disclose all sponsored content and limiting the use of certain types of branded content, Twitch hopes to ensure that viewers are aware of when they are being marketed to and that streamers are not misleading their audiences.
What is not allowed?
- On-stream brand windows cannot be over 3% of the player window.
- Streamers cannot play video ads directly into their streams.
- Streamers cannot display ‘banner’ ads directly in the player window.
- Streamers cannot play audio ads directly in their streams.
CEO Apologizes as Twitch scrapes guidelines
The heavy backlash was addressed by the CEO stating“Let me just go straight to the point. For those who don’t know, we recently released this branded content policy. I won’t go through all the details.”
“This created confusion and frustration, and we apologize for that. We do not intend to limit streamers’
“We missed the mark with the policy language and will rewrite the guidelines to be clearer. Thank you for sharing your concerns, and we appreciate the feedback. We’ll notify the community once we have updated the language.”
Streamer Backlash
Despite Twitch’s intentions, many streamers have expressed concern about the impact of these changes on their ability to earn a living from their content. Some streamers have argued that the new guidelines are too restrictive and will make it harder for them to secure sponsorships and partnerships.
Others have criticized Twitch for not providing enough guidance on how to comply with the new rules. In response to the backlash, Twitch has stated that it is open to feedback and will continue to work with its community of streamers to improve its branded content guidelines. However, it remains to be seen whether these changes will have a significant impact on the platform’s ecosystem of content creators and advertisers.
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