It’s hard to know for certain how much money Twitch streamers make. Subscription numbers or the percentage of money Twitch takes from streamers for using its platform aren’t always transparent. But a recent study by Re:Create sheds some light on American Twitch streamers in 2017 and how much money they received.
Re:Create is an organization focused on advocating for creators and consumers through a proper copyright system, free expression, and other motives. The study, titled Taking Roots: The Growth of America’s New Creative Economy, analyzed specific platforms and their economic influence on creators in America. Re:Create primarily focused on the financial change between platforms from 2016 to 2017.
Unsurprisingly, Twitch had massive growth over the span of just one year. American Twitch creators jumped from 6,158 in 2016 up to 9,796 in 2017. The number of creators was gathered from data off of Twitch’s partner program, according to the study. The earnings by Twitch streamers across those two years grew just as much.
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In 2016, American Twitch streamers made just over $67 million, according to Re:Create. Over the span of just one year, this number grew by over $20 million. According to the study, American Twitch streamers earned $87,157,723 in 2017. In total, the earnings by American streamers grew by 30 percent. Based on the study, eight percent of American Twitch creators earned up to $500, 70 percent earned between $501 and $10,000, and 22 percent earned over $10,000 on the platform.
Considering how big Twitch has grown in the past few years, it’s no surprise that this translates into earnings for the creators themselves. It’s been reported that Tyler “Ninja” Blevins made $10 million from his channel alone in 2018. While Re:Create didn’t look at earning numbers in 2018, it’s safe to assume that American Twitch streamers likely collectively earned much more than $100 million last year.
