Twitch starts beta for new monetisation system
Viewers can now spend virtual Bits in Extensions, with revenue divided between streamer and developer
Twitch has introduced a new monetisation option, which will benefit both streamers and developers on its platform.
The new system will allow the platform's virtual Bits to be used in the range of experiences known as Extensions, which were previously used only as a way for broadcasters and viewers to interact.
"Bits are no longer only for Cheering," Twitch said in a blog post, referring to viewers using Bits to generate custom emotes to show support for a broadcaster. "In Extensions, they can be used to power new, interactive experiences on your channel.
"To kick off this beta for Partners and Affiliates with a bang and give you an idea of what Bits in Extensions can do, we've partnered with 28 developers to bring you 28 new Extensions that make excellent use of the feature."
The full list of Bit-enabled Extensions can be found here, but it includes a range of different games that viewers can play while watching a particular broadcaster - 80% of every Bit used will go to the broadcaster, and 20% will go to the developer of the Extension, with each Bit worth $0.01 (one US cent).
"Our mission at Twitch is to help our community make a living on our service doing what they love, and that includes both content creators and developers," said Extensions product manager Jeffrey Chow.
"We built Extensions to best serve what Twitch is best known for: community interactions. By enabling revenue generation from Extensions, developers can make more of them, which ultimately opens up more interactive possibilities and monetisation methods for content creators."