Streamer Claims Twitch's New Partner Plus Program Was "Secret Deal" Already Offered To Top Streamers

As a platform, Twitch is no stranger to controversy, but its new “Partner Plus” program is perhaps its biggest flash point in a while. A notable streamer has claimed that this new program–which is essentially a better revenue share agreement based on meeting certain milestones–was quietly offered to top streamers in the past.

The Partner Plus program allows qualified streamers to receive a 70/30 split on subscription revenues on the first $100,000 earned each year. In order to qualify for the program, streamers must have at least 350 “recurring paid subscriptions for three consecutive months,” per a Twitch blog post. Those who meet that criteria will be enrolled in the Partner Plus program for the next 12 months, regardless of how many paid subs they have during those months. Any revenue earned past $100,000 will be subject to Twitch’s usual 50/50 split.

Streamer PaladinAmber said on Twitter that Twitch had negotiated 70/30 deals with certain top performers based on the 350 sub criteria. However, the streamer said that while the deal used to be indefinite, this new program adds a 12 month cap, making it strictly worse for those who previously had it. PaladinAmber further states that Twitch should not take 50% of a streamer’s income, and describes the platform as “an empty room where we have to invite, promote, create, and direct content to entice people to join and watch.”

This “secret” 70/30 deal was previously noted by several outlets, including The Verge, making it fairly well-known in streamer circles. Back in September, that outlet reported that streamers with these “premium terms” were now subject to the $100,000 cap. As such, you could certainly argue that the Partner Plus program is a strict downgrade for the site’s top streamers. Though Twitch is a massive platform, it faces competition from similar services that offer better revenue splits for content creators, including YouTube Gaming and Kick.