Being a Twitch streamer isn’t easy, believe it or not. It’s difficult to get recognized and grow a following when you’re not being bombarded with hate raids.
Twitch has now responded by introducing a new ‘Boost’ function that allows fans to help promote their favorite streamers. It does, however, necessitate that said fans spend real money.
On a recent Patch Notes broadcast, Twitch product manager Jacob Rosok gave a detailed explanation, but it’s essentially an evolution of a prior Boost feature that allowed users to spend channel points. The main distinction is that channel points can be gained just by watching Twitch.
The more Boosts you buy, the more channel suggestions you’ll get on Twitch’s home page for that streamer. It’s not yet publicly available, and it’s currently being tested on a small number of channels, but users have already noticed flaws in Twitch’s strategy.
For starters, this feature would clearly benefit existing popular streams with large crowds, who would continue to dominate Twitch’s top page thanks to their devoted supporters. This effectively removes any benefit that smaller streamers would receive. Second, as streamer Devin Nash points out, recommendations aren’t a guarantee of views, so any money spent on Boosts can be in waste. In a YouTube video, he compares it to a pay-to-win formula and explains how it works in detail.
Furthermore, it’s unclear whether streamers will receive a portion of the Boost money or if it would entirely go to Twitch. Because streamers already get money from donations and subscriptions, while small ones would have to decide whether to seek donations or have their viewers spend the money on Boosts instead.