3 ms·

> Live streaming 1080p 60fps video to a channel with even just a few hundred viewers I've been in streams with less than 100 viewers and seen hundreds of dolla

> Live streaming 1080p 60fps video to a channel with even just a few hundred viewers I've been in streams with less than 100 viewers and seen hundreds of dollars in bits & gifted subs being spent in a single hype train. Are those really unprofitable for Twitch?

Sohcahtoa82 3y ago
When someone buys a sub ($5-25 depending on tier), Twitch gets half the money. Bits are a little more complicated. Donators have to buy bits ahead of time and then donate them. 100 bits is worth $1 to a streamer. But 100 bits will cost between $1.18 and $1.26 depending on how many bits you buy at once. Buying a larger block means paying a little less. (Side note: Once the streamer has received the bits, they can't be taken back, even if the credit card charge that bought the bits is reversed due to a fraud claim) If a streamer with <100 viewers was getting hundreds of dollars in a single hype train, then either that streamer is very lucky and has a rich viewer that doesn't mind throwing around money, or I'd suspect something fishy is going on. ie, bits being bought with stolen credit cards, or the whole thing is a money laundering scheme.
- dathinab 3y ago
  Sub prices also depend an your country. In some countries subs are noticeable cheaper then $5. Through I guess most viewers are in the countries where it's somewhat around that price.
- wnevets 3y ago
  > If a streamer with <100 viewers was getting hundreds of dollars in a single hype train, then either that streamer is very lucky and has a rich viewer that doesn't mind throwing around money, or I'd suspect something fishy is going on. ie, bits being bought with stolen credit cards, or the whole thing is a money laundering scheme. It would occur regularly to several different streamers I used to watch. Double digit level hype trains were the norm and according to the leaked earnings they were making well over 100K on twitch.
- k12sosse 3y ago
  I have often wondered when the big spenders are coming from export controlled countries, do the Federals ever get involved?
hot_gril 3y ago
How long was the stream? Doesn't sound unprofitable if it's 30min to 1hr (my uneducated guess), but then again idk how many streams get donations like that.
- dathinab 3y ago
  Most "normal" streams get their maximum viewer count around 2 hours into the stream. While streamers tend to have something like a waiting room for the first 10-30min of their stream. A typical streamer which can life from it but isn't getting rich (or even wealthy!) tends to stream 6+h streams at at least 3 days a week more likely 4-5. Which additional time costs for stuff like filling taxes preparing streams, updating software etc. it's not too rare for streamers to have a 50+ hour week, without getting rich or even wealthy from it. While some pop of and get wealthy or rich it's not the norm. Most do so because they love what they are doing and/or would have problems with other jobs. I have seen multiple cases of small streamers using Twitch as a form a therapy to help them to overcome social awkwardness or some kinds of anxiety. Also some cases of depressive or otherwise sick people using it to have something like a job even through they are to sick to get any normal job even if they didn't need it for money (to avoid brain rot of being stuck at home and maybe some additional semi-social contacts). Naturally there are exceptions e.g. of streamers "capturing some whales" and making quite good money with a fraction of the effort of the normal case, but in the end this are exceptions.
  - hot_gril 3y ago
    I don't know what the streams cost Twitch, but that sounds like a lot of video. Sure viewers are hopping on and off and don't chew bandwidth while off, but still, I suspect 15min of someone streaming Twitch is a lot less valuable than 15min of watching YouTube.
dathinab 3y ago
Most streams with less then 100 viewers I have seen have maybe 1-2 gift subs when streaming 5 hours or so... Through even on larger streams most gifts come from a relatively small number of people so there definitely are some outliers like you described but as far as I can tell they are the exception not the norm.

Sohcahtoa82 3y ago

When someone buys a sub ($5-25 depending on tier), Twitch gets half the money. Bits are a little more complicated. Donators have to buy bits ahead of time and then donate them. 100 bits is worth $1 to a streamer. But 100 bits will cost between $1.18 and $1.26 depending on how many bits you buy at once. Buying a larger block means paying a little less. (Side note: Once the streamer has received the bits, they can't be taken back, even if the credit card charge that bought the bits is reversed due to a fraud claim) If a streamer with <100 viewers was getting hundreds of dollars in a single hype train, then either that streamer is very lucky and has a rich viewer that doesn't mind throwing around money, or I'd suspect something fishy is going on. ie, bits being bought with stolen credit cards, or the whole thing is a money laundering scheme.

dathinab 3y ago
Sub prices also depend an your country. In some countries subs are noticeable cheaper then $5. Through I guess most viewers are in the countries where it's somewhat around that price.
wnevets 3y ago
> If a streamer with <100 viewers was getting hundreds of dollars in a single hype train, then either that streamer is very lucky and has a rich viewer that doesn't mind throwing around money, or I'd suspect something fishy is going on. ie, bits being bought with stolen credit cards, or the whole thing is a money laundering scheme. It would occur regularly to several different streamers I used to watch. Double digit level hype trains were the norm and according to the leaked earnings they were making well over 100K on twitch.
k12sosse 3y ago
I have often wondered when the big spenders are coming from export controlled countries, do the Federals ever get involved?

hot_gril 3y ago

How long was the stream? Doesn't sound unprofitable if it's 30min to 1hr (my uneducated guess), but then again idk how many streams get donations like that.

dathinab 3y ago
Most "normal" streams get their maximum viewer count around 2 hours into the stream. While streamers tend to have something like a waiting room for the first 10-30min of their stream. A typical streamer which can life from it but isn't getting rich (or even wealthy!) tends to stream 6+h streams at at least 3 days a week more likely 4-5. Which additional time costs for stuff like filling taxes preparing streams, updating software etc. it's not too rare for streamers to have a 50+ hour week, without getting rich or even wealthy from it. While some pop of and get wealthy or rich it's not the norm. Most do so because they love what they are doing and/or would have problems with other jobs. I have seen multiple cases of small streamers using Twitch as a form a therapy to help them to overcome social awkwardness or some kinds of anxiety. Also some cases of depressive or otherwise sick people using it to have something like a job even through they are to sick to get any normal job even if they didn't need it for money (to avoid brain rot of being stuck at home and maybe some additional semi-social contacts). Naturally there are exceptions e.g. of streamers "capturing some whales" and making quite good money with a fraction of the effort of the normal case, but in the end this are exceptions.
- hot_gril 3y ago
  I don't know what the streams cost Twitch, but that sounds like a lot of video. Sure viewers are hopping on and off and don't chew bandwidth while off, but still, I suspect 15min of someone streaming Twitch is a lot less valuable than 15min of watching YouTube.

dathinab 3y ago

Most streams with less then 100 viewers I have seen have maybe 1-2 gift subs when streaming 5 hours or so... Through even on larger streams most gifts come from a relatively small number of people so there definitely are some outliers like you described but as far as I can tell they are the exception not the norm.