Add Deeper Analytics for Ad Revenue
Right now the analytics page just shows revenue gained from ads. This doesn't paint the entire picture and it's leading streamers to think that bias is occurring in their ad offers. This can be fixed by displaying ad impressions, declined impressions, fill rate, ad pool size for our category, and CPM on the analytics page. Descriptions for each should also be included to explain these mechanics.
We're offered 55% of ad revenue but have no way to determine what that number is or how it is calculated. This leads to distrust in Twitch and the ads system. Giving streamers a clearer picture of the situation will let us decide how to optimize and earn more while repairing damage done by lack of communication. This benefits both Twitch and the streaming community overall.
Having two monetized channels I found that one of them was getting 205% more revenue from ads on a per viewer basis. I had no idea why this was happening and none of my provided analytics helped resolve that. With this in mind I reached out to Mike Minton the Chief Monetization Officer at Twitch to discover what was going on. You can read that entire thread here: https://twitter.com/PirateSoftware/status/1640762988809576449
During that conversation we talked about all of this and I realized how lacking the analytics panel really is for this revenue source. I feel that fixing this will help improve communication regarding ads and dispel a lot of the negative feelings around disparate ad rates between streamers. With Twitch moving towards a more ad centric monetization model this really needs to be implemented.

-
NightmareJoker2 commented
Bias is occurring in ad offers. This is determined by the advertiser paying for the ads, and the options Twitch offers to them, based on which they can target their ads to the viewers, to reach the, in their sole discretion, most suitable target demographic. Targeted advertising is not a new concept. The criteria upon which advertisers want to target their ads vary and are very complex.
That you aren't told how advertisers advertise, and not allowed to game the system by specifically seeking out content, categories, tags, keywords in stream titles and chat messages, or abusing the moderation controls to stay within viewership volume targeted, is a good thing. The last thing the advertisers want is you catering to their ad revenue in a manner that results in lower conversion rates and sales of the products they are advertising for.
In short, to put it in context with how this came about with you: Advertisers tasked with advertising pet food to those who "watch animal cams at work and likely have a pet at home" do not want you to go and randomly decide to use the "Animals, Aquariums, and Zoos" category, when your regular viewership consists of "people mostly interested in video games" and your reactions while playing it, and very likely consists of a significantly lower fraction of pet owners, and therefore less people per impression (their expense) who are interested in buying said pet food, just so you can earn more money.I do agree with you, the analytics are lacking, but only in that Twitch should add region variance and a more precise time scale to telling you where your revenue comes from. However, that alone is dangerous, if it results in streamers targeting certain times of day, where viewership from certain regions is increased, thereby diluting the discovery options for the viewers who largely struggle with paying attention to more than one channel at once (they certainly do on a mobile device!) and making the revenue situation worse for everyone as a result, since the pool of available turnover is limited, even if in constant flux, because most advertisers have a spending cap or monitor their conversion rates.
-
riyo__r commented
So this just came up in a stream.
"An anonymous gifter gave buttplugbetty a Tier 1 Sub!"
How is this appropriate and why does the anon person completely get away with this and is unable to be banned. They will just keep doing this.
-
YoungVan85 commented
I agrê I apologize for the lack of punctuation but I am using the a laptop that has a vietnamese typeset. The Analytics for Twitch sêms to lack transparancy especially for building trust in the community.
Thanks for fighting the gơd fight. -
TheADHDSanta commented
100% with this.
Also just some random stuff ive noticed if it matters.
- Please fix the volume on ads to the volume we have the stream on
- Add some 5 second ads in the mix
- Sometimes ads freeze mid cycle and i have to refresh the page.
- Just an idea what if the ad/stream was 50/50 of the screen instead of the whole stream?
- Get more streamers into the ads and i'll 100% focus more on the ad.Murica
-
darknase commented
Adding "a break out" that just says "Ads & Turbo" is not a break out. We expect better Twitch.
-
Blappo commented
looking at stats its easy to see problems.
on streams where I have more minutes watched and more ads run, i have
$0.00 ad revenue (3hr stream) vs (1.5hrs stream) a short stream where i had very few ads or minutes watched have $0.42Something isnt right, others have called for better ad metrics. I agree. I know my viewers and I have no clue why their views dont count. people close to me who i have tested this with watch ads instead of carrying a sub, and some have turbo. still somehow I cannot get a consistency based on my numbers.
-
DragonSlayrOfficial commented
can't believe this isn't implemented already... definitely something that needs changing
-
slowcookedchaos commented
This seems both practical and easy to implement. Please add this.
-
Djinnet commented
An analytics panel is vital for streamers to understand the performance of their content and make informed decisions. This promotes transparency, trust, and loyalty between Twitch and its users.
Additionally, it can help identify emerging trends and inform strategic decisions, ultimately leading to better user engagement and revenue. Implementing an analytics panel should be a key priority right away.
This is a big easy W.
-
notthemermaid commented
This sounds like a great idea. I hope Twitch implements it!
-
Black_Fox_XVI commented
As a result of this type of communication with streamers, it can be confusing for those who have been doing this for a long time. Imagine a new streamer coming to the platform and wanting to make a living out of it; how unhelpful, confusing, and difficult it would be for them.
Providing more transparent and detailed ad analytics would certainly help build trust and understanding between Twitch and its streamers. It's important for both parties to work together towards optimizing revenue and creating a positive community for all. -
kevin_27 commented
This is a good idea.
-
kingdomchaun commented
please please freaking do this we need this
-
VibrantNeon commented
Would be nice if twitch also considered as a streamer, you also have a business you need to run, and need to make calculated decisions based on data, and it seems a fair bit negligent that it has an impact that dramatically can hurt you as a creator, and you might choose the wrong decision because it's a loot box, that can hurt you financially.
-
b3agz commented
Is necessary
-
SafetySethPlays commented
How can a content creator make things work with hidden and ******** metrics. If you have nothing to hide no reason to avoid transparency.
-
WulfestWulf commented
Streamers desperately need this, more transparency is very important for streamers to stay on this platform instead of leaving for Youtube or Kick.
-
castimier commented
definitely do this
-
The_Mayhem3D commented
Twitch, please do this!
-
kammcorder commented
please we need this!!!