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Twitch Ads allow brands to run video and display ads on Amazon's live streaming platform and partner with streamers. Purchasing is handled through Amazon Ads, either via self-service or managed service. It is a brand awareness lever designed to reach 18-34 year olds, a highly engaged audience that is difficult to reach elsewhere.
Every day, approximately 35 million users log on to Twitch, according to the platform's internal data (global, 2022). This guide details the ad formats, purchasing, costs, measurement, and best practices for successful campaigns.
What is advertising on Twitch?
Twitch is the live streaming service owned by Amazon. Creators broadcast live streams and interact with their viewers in the chat, which fosters tight-knit communities around each channel.
Advertising on Twitch consists of two categories of solutions. First, Twitch media: video and display ads on the homepage, discovery pages, and channels. Second, collaborations with creators, which integrate the brand into live content.
A young audience, hard to reach elsewhere
Nearly 70% of Twitch viewers are between 18 and 34 years old, and the site receives an average of 105 million visitors per month (Twitch internal data, 2022 and 2023). In the United States, 52% of viewers report spending more than three hours a day on the platform (Twitch internal data, 2023).
Most importantly, about 65% of Twitch viewers cannot be reached on major social networks, according to a 2022 GWI and Comscore study conducted in the United States. Twitch therefore serves as a useful complement to Meta, TikTok, or YouTube for targeting Gen Z and young millennials.
Far beyond gaming
Video games remain the gateway to Twitch, but the platform has diversified and now hosts advertisers from all sectors. According to Amazon Ads, art, beauty, cooking, music, and "Just Chatting" are attracting growing interest, with content broadcast in 35 languages.
Why advertise on Twitch?
The primary argument is attention. Premium video ads are unskippable and always appear above the fold on desktop, mobile, tablet, console, and connected TV. The viewer is watching a live stream they have chosen to watch.
The second argument is the relationship between streamers and their viewers, which the brand benefits from if it respects the community's codes. Finally, purchasing via Amazon Ads provides access to Amazon's audience signals, just like a standard Amazon Ads campaign.
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What are the advertising formats on Twitch?
Twitch offers advertising formats ranging from standard banners to channel takeovers. Here are the main ones.
Video ads
Video ads are the entry point recommended by Amazon Ads. They appear before the live stream (pre-roll) or during ad breaks triggered by the streamer (mid-roll). A 9:16 vertical format is also available for mobile and full-screen desktop viewing.
SureStream technology integrates the video directly into the live stream, which allows you to reach viewers on connected TVs, consoles, and those using ad blockers on desktop. If you are already working with YouTube ad formatsthe creative logic will be familiar.
Stream ads
These are 15-second video ads that appear before or during a stream, without interrupting the creator's audio or video. They are placed below the player (lower third) or between the stream and the chat (skyscraper, inverted C), and viewers cannot close them.
Display and high-impact formats
Twitch display ads use clickable formats:
- Headliner: Twitch homepage and the mobile app's following tab.
- Homepage Carousel: highlights a channel's live stream, with a 240-character description.
- Super Leaderboard and Medium Rectangle: banners displayed during browsing and in search results.
- Feed ads: full-screen ads in the mobile app.
For key moments, the First Impression Takeover reserves the first ad seen during the first stream of the day for a single advertiser, per day and per geographic region.
Partnerships with streamers
Collaborations integrate the brand into the live stream natively:
- Creator sponsorships: turnkey offers managed by the streamers.
- Offers dashboard: a marketplace that connects brands with streamers.
- Channel takeover: an immersive activation on the channels of verified streamers.
- Brand Partnership Studio: Twitch's creative team, for bespoke branded content.
How are ads displayed to viewers?
Affiliate or Partner streamers earn ad revenue and manage their ad breaks via the Ads Manager. According to Amazon Ads, these breaks last between 30 seconds and 3 minutes.
Twitch encourages mid-rolls: by running at least 3 minutes of ads per hour, streamers disable pre-rolls and unlock 55% of net ad revenue. Every 30 seconds of live ads provides 10 minutes of ad-free viewing.
Two categories of viewers see fewer ads. Turbo subscribers see neither manager-scheduled ads nor stream ads, and streamers can offer their subscribers ad-free viewing. Your actual audience is therefore non-subscribed viewers, and the length of your creative assets should be adapted to these breaks.
How do you advertise on Twitch?
Launching a campaign requires neither a channel nor brand-published content. The steps:
- Set the objective: awareness, consideration, or traffic.
- Choose the buying method: self-service via Amazon Ads, or managed service with an account manager.
- Define targeting: country, devices, content categories, and Amazon audience signals.
- Produce the creative assets: videos with the right duration, IAB display formats, vertical version.
- Measure and adjust: reach, completion, brand impact, then budget reallocation.
Self-service or managed service via Amazon Ads
Twitch media can be purchased via Amazon Ads, either through self-service or managed service. You don't need to sell on Amazon, and France is among the supported countries, with available formats varying by region.
High-impact formats and partnerships are handled through the Twitch and Amazon Ads teams. If you are already buying programmatic video via Display & Video 360 for example, think of Twitch as a complementary premium inventory.
Creative guidelines to follow
Ads must display the brand logo or name and correspond to the promoted products. Information must be accurate and verifiable, and content must comply with Twitch Community Guidelines.
The creative must also speak the language of live streaming: a direct tone, community codes, and a message understood in seconds. Our creative best practices for social ads apply broadly to Twitch.
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How much does a Twitch advertising campaign cost?
Twitch does not publish a rate card. Amazon Ads indicates that it is possible to launch display and video campaigns with a minimum spend, and that a higher investment opens up segment sponsorships or product placement.
The cost depends on the format (a banner costs less than a homepage takeover), the timing, the buying method, and the size of the streamers involved. Partnerships with creators are quoted on a case-by-case basis.
How do you measure the results of a Twitch campaign?
Amazon Ads provides first-party reporting: impressions, unique reach, video completion rates, product page views, brand searches, and new customers. For awareness, preference, and intent, Twitch also relies on third-party tools such as Nielsen, VideoAmp, Lucid, or Kantar.
Avoid judging Twitch solely on last-click ROAS. It is a top-of-funnel lever that should be evaluated based on incremental reach and brand impact.
Best practices for a successful Twitch Ads campaign
According to the Amazon Ads guide, successful advertisers on Twitch start by understanding the community's values. A few principles follow:
- Take a phased approach: build awareness with media, then add creators.
- Respect the live format: prioritize short messages and stream ads.
- Let streamers speak for themselves: their own words are more persuasive than a scripted pitch.
- Combine your efforts: Twitch extends a video or social strategy targeting the same audience, such as on TikTok.
How datashake supports you with Twitch Ads
datashake has integrated Twitch Ads into its SMAoffering, alongside Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, and X. Twitch is particularly well-suited for brands looking to embed themselves in engaged subcultures, thanks to the long exposure time of its audiences and the strong bond between streamers and viewers.
Our approach: selecting environments, mixing media and creators, producing assets via our AI creative studio, and measuring Twitch's contribution. Launched in 2019 by two former Google employees, datashake has supported over 1,000 advertisers and brings together more than 100 experts.
FAQ
How do you advertise on Twitch?
You must go through Amazon Ads, either via self-service or managed service. Partnerships with streamers are handled through Twitch teams.
How much does a Twitch ad cost?
Twitch does not publicly disclose pricing. Video and display campaigns start with a minimum spend set by Amazon Ads, while exclusive formats and sponsorships are negotiated via custom quotes.
Do you need a Twitch channel to run ads?
No, a brand can run ads without a channel or a stream. A channel is only useful for certain formats, such as the homepage carousel.
Do you need to sell on Amazon to buy Twitch ads?
No. Amazon Ads states that advertisers can purchase Twitch ads whether or not they sell on Amazon. Available formats vary by country.
Do Turbo viewers or those with an ad blocker see ads?
Turbo subscribers do not see ads scheduled by streamers or stream ads. However, SureStream technology makes it possible to reach some desktop users who use ad blockers.
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