Twitch Finally Cracks Down on View Botting Scandal
In response to the ongoing controversy of “legal view botting”, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy has reportedly proposed a solution to disable autoplay on streamers who abuse embeds. The issue, which involves streamers embedding their Twitch streams onto third-party websites to artificially inflate viewership, has been a significant concern for the platform and its users.
Key developments include:
- Gaming site Fextralife, which has over 1.6 million followers on Twitch, has been accused of using this method to inflate its viewership. The discrepancy between the site’s viewership numbers and the amount of chat activity on its streams has raised suspicions.
- The issue first gained attention in 2021 when YouTube star Ludwig accused Fextralife of stealing views by embedding streams on their game wikis. The controversy resurfaced with the release of Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2023, leading to widespread criticism of the site’s alleged shady practices.
- Twitch streamer Gothalion revealed in an October 2 broadcast that he had received an email from Twitch CEO Dan Clancy. In the email, Clancy asked for a shortlist of offenders who exploit embedded streams and proposed disabling autoplay on these websites as a temporary solution.
- Clancy described this as a “quick and dirty” fix while they work on a more sustainable long-term plan. He specifically mentioned Fextralife as one of the worst offenders and requested a list of similar culprits.
- This news has been positively received by many in the Twitch community, who believe that autoplay embeds can disadvantage streamers producing high-quality, thoughtful content by promoting bigger streams that gain views from embeds.
The proposed solution from Twitch’s CEO is seen as a significant step towards addressing the issue of legal view botting.
Twitch Insights Unveiled: Past, Present, and Future
We at Gaming Careers are excited to introduce our new Twitch statistics page, a comprehensive tool designed to help streamers better understand and navigate the dynamic world of Twitch. By offering a wealth of data, from real-time statistics to historical trends, we aim to equip streamers with the knowledge they need to optimize their content, engage effectively with their audience, and successfully monetize their streams.
Some of the key statistics featured on our page:
- Viewership
- Live Channels
- Top Languages Currently Live
- Average Viewers Per Streamer
- Hours Watched
- Average Streamers
- Active Partners & Affiliates
- Top Channels Currently Live
- Top Categories Currently Live
- Top 20 Streamers This Year
- Top 10 Categories This Year
All charts are fully interactive, so you can dig into the trends and learn how Twitch as a platform has changed over time. We’ve also included a timeline of Twitch’s history. From its beginnings as Justin.tv in 2007, through its transformation and Amazon acquisition, to its current status as a live streaming giant.
We believe this tool will be invaluable for creators in the industry. By providing a clear view of the platform’s past and present, we aim to help streamers strategize their future growth, making the most of the opportunities Twitch has to offer.
Key Strategies for Success in the Attention Economy
In the latest annual Creator Report by Linktree, it was revealed that the internet is a battleground for the attention of more than 200 million content creators. With the human attention span now a third of what it was in 2004, the struggle to capture and retain audience interest is more challenging than ever.
The internet is a fragmented place, with creators posting links to numerous different websites. The most popular sites creators link to are Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, which make up only 25% of the total links created on Linktree since the start of 2022.
In terms of monetization, the report reveals that 50% of creators have made money from their content in the last 12 months. Within that:
- 72% of creators are making less than $500
- 17% of creators are making between $500-$5k
- 5% of creators are making between $5k-$10k
- 4% of creators are making between $10k-$50k
- 2% of creators are making over $50k
There is a growing opportunity for creators to monetize through direct payment features like tips and paid subscriptions, both of which are prominent across livestreaming platforms.
Lastly, the report highlights the power of affiliate marketing. It reveals that a third of all adults and more than half of Gen Z and Millennials say content creators influence their buying decisions.
News Highlights
- An insightful engineering article was posted explaining how Twitch works.
- Twitch introduces a watch streak progress bar and notification system to enhance the Channel Points experience.
- Twitch’s Partner Plus program kicks off with a new dashboard and updated resources.
- YouTube lowers partner program eligibility threshold in 24 countries, expanding access.
- YouTube unveils a video exploring Create and AI tools in greater depth.
- Twitter/X initiates tests for live streaming capabilities from OBS.
- Kick reaches a milestone with 20 million users and 1 million concurrent viewers.
- TikTok pilots a $4.99 per month ad-free plan in the USA.
- Forbes unveils its Top 50 Creators of 2023, featuring several prominent gaming creators and livestreamers.
- QTCinderella and Maya Higa’s Gala for Good charity event raised over $235k, with Ludwig winning a year’s use of Twitch’s Golden Kappa.
- Lex Fridman and Mark Zuckerberg host a podcast in the metaverse.
- Hyper-realistic deepfake ad featuring MrBeast highlights the alarming potential for future scams.
