Streaming platform Twitch is lowering most its subscription prices outside of the US, with the amounts in pounds set to change in the UK ‘over the coming months’.
Twitch currently charges users £4.99 per month in the UK for them to subscribe to a streamer via a tier 1 sub – this usually unlocks ad-free viewing, subscriber-only chat, sub badges and emotes.
There are also tier 2 Twitch subscriptions (£9.99 per month) and tier 3 ones (£24.99 per month) which unlock extras, such as additional emotes, badge flairs and emote modifiers.
Of course, users with premium service Amazon Prime (and thus Twitch Prime) are granted one free subscription per month.
Most countries outside of the US will be getting their own localised prices, starting with Turkey and Mexico on May 20th, followed by most countries in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe starting in Q3 2021. UK users can expect the UK price in pounds to change around then.
Twitch says most of these prices will be lowered, as it aims to encourage more viewers to subscribe and for streamers to generate higher revenues.
It ran price tests, and in one test in Brazil, lower sub prices ‘more than doubled creator revenue and total subscriber count’
“The subscription pricing will vary country-to-country and we will share any updates proactively with our UK community when available.”
Twitch
To help streamers transition through the change, Twitch says it will cover all baseline channel and Prime sub revenue for three months, “if needed”, including the month of the price change. After this, it will slowly decrease incentive payments by 25% every three months over the following nine months, totaling a 12-month period of providing revenue adjustment incentives.
Twitch said in a blog post: “The percentage of active users in Europe or Asia who support creators with a subscription is roughly 50% lower relative to North America. In Latin America, it’s nearly 80% lower.
“It’s time for subscription pricing that’s adjusted for where viewers live. Prices that make it so more people than ever can feel comfortable showing their support and enjoying the benefits of a subscription.”
Twitch told Esports News UK in a statement: “We do not have any additional details to share at this time. Localised subscription pricing will roll out in waves over the coming months. We are intentionally introducing this change slowly to make sure that we give our community a seamless and successful experience.
“The subscription pricing will vary country-to-country and we will share any updates proactively with our UK community when available.”
There’s more detailed info on local subscription pricing on the Twitch website.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
