Twitch Announces New Benefits For Tier 2 and Tier 3 Subscribers

Twitch subscriptions have, for many years, been a fantastic way for loyal viewers to show support for their favourite streamers, and while the Twitch subscription cost has changed a number of times over the past few years, it’s become a way for larger streamers to earn a significant amount of money while continuing to build their Twitch subscriber count.

The Amazon-owned company are clearly starting to place more of an emphasis on their Twitch subscription feature, as they’ve recently announced that they’re rolling out a number of new benefits to Tier 2 and Tier 3 subscription accounts – and this is something the community have been calling for quite some time, so it’s likely to be received well by both viewers and creators alike.

Why The Change?

Those with a Twitch subscription have long complained that the benefits of taking one out don’t really justify the cost of doing so. This has been something that many streamers have also been vocal about – and some of the big-name streamers even started to speak out, telling Twitch/Amazon to up their game and offer loyal viewers something more.

Now that they’ve actually changed their Twitch subscription model it’s likely we’ll see an influx of new subscriptions, especially from those who were hesitant to take one out in the past over concerns that they simply weren’t actually “worth” that much.

What Are The New Tier 2 and Tier 3 Changes?

There’s quite a lot of changes rolling out in the new tier benefits “upgrade” and the first is designed to help streamers build their brand and establish a “name” for themselves. Twitch partners will now have access to an additional 4 emote slots for Tier 2/3 subscribers by default, and this means that creators can showcase more creativity – and even increase viewer engagement by running polls or competitions on what new emotes viewers think should be added!

Tier 2 and 3 subscribers can now also “dress” the new emotes using partner-approved emote modifiers. What’s significant here is that the number of modifiers is unlimited – and partners can choose from a number of different formats, including Grayscale, Horizontal Flip, Pinch, Shades and Think modifiers.
Twitch clarifies how it works by stating:

“Subscribers will have access to one emote modifier filter for Tier 2, and two filters for Tier 3.”

The third and final change being made to the Tier 2 and 3 subscription accounts is designed to help affiliates and partners “shine a light on their higher tier supporters”. Twitch are bringing in a brand-new Badge Flair, a design overlay that decorates the sub badge within the Twitch chat module and is automatically applied when activated by the creator.

In an official statement, Twitch said:

“By default, Twitch will provide a subscription star flair icon on every Affiliate and Partner channel but creators can also design custom flair that matches their channel brand.”

What Is a Twitch Subscription?

A Twitch subscription is a way for viewers to show additional support to their favourite creators – and it also gives them a way in which they can financially support their favourite esports streamers. If a user chooses to subscribe to a particular streamer they will, essentially, be paying a small monthly fee, part of which goes directly to the creator and the other part pocketed by Twitch.

Having a Twitch subscription offers a number of benefits that are not available to those who don’t have a subscription – and these benefits include the ability to use custom emotes (special emoji symbols in the live chat module), and subscribers also get their own Twitch subscriber badge – basically a way to “show off” that they’re a subscriber. Depending on whether the creator has enabled it or not, Twitch subscribers can also get access to an exclusive chatroom, although this is usually only seen with the bigger creators.

Subscribers also have access to special alerts – allowing the subscriber to press a button in the chat interface which tells the rest of the stream’s viewers how long they’ve been following and subscribing for.

Many Twitch streamers also hold regular competitions, and usually one of the main prerequisites of entering is to be a paid subscriber. The Twitch subscription cost varies slightly depending on which country you reside in but is generally $4.99.

What Makes a Twitch Subscription Different From a Follow?

Many people think that a Twitch subscription and a Twitch follow are the same thing – but in reality, they’re very different. Due to the Twitch subscription cost, subscribing means you’re actively paying money each month (although we should point out that Amazon Prime users automatically receive one free Twitch subscription per month), whereas following a streamer or creator is free.

Following someone on Twitch is no different to opening up your Instagram account and following someone new; it helps them build followers, but doesn’t provide any direct financial benefit. Twitch subscribers actually generate revenue for creators, and it’s a unique business model that took a while to take off – but that now seems to be doing surprisingly well.