Twitch is joining the growing list of streaming and content companies raising prices. If you thought cord-cutting was supposed to be cheaper for your wallet, 2024 has set out to disprove that notion across nearly every metric.
The Amazon-owned video game streaming platform is joining the likes of Spotify, Max, Netflix and Peaco*ck in raising prices in the last couple of months, as it confirmed a price hike.
Specifically, Tier 1 subscribers will pay $5.99 a month, up from $4.99 a month. Tier 2 and Tier 3 currently cost $9.99 and $24.99 a month, respectively.
In making the announcement, Twitch said that the increase is “part of our efforts to help creators build and grow their communities worldwide.”
On X, the Twitch account responded to a user saying that streamers will still earn revenue shares of 50% to 70% (depending on their Plus Program level). A nice deal for streamers, but if users drop off because of increased cost, it might not matter that their cut stays the same.
"Subscriptions are one of the most important ways for communities to support their favorite streamers, but streamers have faced growing costs and to create content their viewers will love," a Twitch spokesperson told Tom's Guide. "We are increasing Tier 1 subscription and gift sub prices in over 30 countries to drive more revenue to our streamers and help make streaming more sustainable, "This pricing update is the latest in a number of changes to create a long-term, transparent framework for streamer compensation."
"This pricing update is the latest in a number of changes to create a long term, transparent framework for streamer compensation."
The new price is hitting a number of countries that didn’t see increases earlier this year in February. That price hike only hit Canada, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
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Twitch hasn’t had a great 2024. Like many video game companies, Twitch laid off 500 employees to start the year. The company recently shut down the Safety Advisory Council and then reopened it with “Twitch Ambassadors,” or content creators on the site. And that’s without mentioning that Twitch's CEO has said the company isn’t profitable.
As streaming anything becomes more and more expensive, it’s been harder to justify cutting the cord. And it’s starting to feel like an annual thing. In 2023, Sling TV, Hulu, Fubo and DirectTV stream all bumped prices up.
Bigger streamers like Netflix, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Apple TV Plus all raised their prices as well. And that’s not even mentioning the Max, which was still HBO Max, bumping the cost of its ad-free tier.
The question for customers now is do you stay or do you churn? Either way, check out our comprehensive guide to streaming services and how you can potentially get the most bang for your buck.
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Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him.
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