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Everyone dislikes Twitch’s new mid-roll ad trial

Chris ButtonBy Chris ButtonSeptember 15, 2020

Mega streaming platform Twitch has announced a trial where some viewers will experience mid-roll ads while watching streams.

🔬 Starting today, we'll be testing automated mid-roll ads for some viewers. These ads will directly support the Creator and won't run if the viewer has had an ad break in that channel recently. Your feedback is welcomed to help shape this feature!

📚: https://t.co/UPXp1gk8zq

— Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) September 14, 2020

Predictably, content creators and viewers alike are unhappy with the impromptu announcement.

i don't even need to check the replies to know that pic.twitter.com/1qplBSxLhO

— Jamie Pine (@jamiepine) September 14, 2020

Usually, pre-roll ads are played when a viewer begins watching a stream, but the watching experience is otherwise uninterrupted unless the streamer manually queues up additional ad breaks. By subscribing to a channel, you unlock an ad-free viewing experience for the length of your subscription. Fortunately, Twitch’s surprise trial will not impact subscribers.

Framed as an extra way to support Twitch creators — as Affiliates and Partners earn money from displaying ads — the trial will cover all channels.

One major concern with mid-roll ads is the possibility viewers will miss pivotal moments in streams. Imagine missing a critical betrayal in a tense game of Among Us? Many an F in the chat for anyone who misses an exciting play thanks to a bloody ad break.

In a paltry effort to try and alleviate this possibility, Twitch has unlocked ‘Picture-by-Picture’ for all channel categories — a feature previously only available to gaming channels. For channels that enable the setting, this means ads will display in a large window while the stream will continue in a smaller window. What’s the catch? During ads, the stream is muted, which defeats the purpose.

Totally understandable concern – the stream will be muted, but will continue to play in a smaller window on the page.

— Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) September 14, 2020

To make matters more frustrating, Twitch hasn’t specified how long the trial will last, simply specifying it was “beginning in September”.

In addition to a ‘Subtember’ promotion that disadvantages recurring subscribers, Twitch hasn’t exactly endeared itself to the streaming community of late.

🛠 We discovered a bug with the SUBtember promotion which allowed Subscribers to cancel and resubscribe to a channel using the promotional discount. To clarify, SUBtember is reserved for first-time Subscriptions to channels, or Prime/Gift Subs continuing to a paid Subscription.

— Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) September 3, 2020

If you feel strongly one way or another about Twitch’s new ad trial, invitations for feedback are open here.


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Chris Button

Chris is an award-nominated writer based in Adelaide who specialises in covering video games and technology. He loves Donkey Kong Country, sport, and cats. The Last Jedi is the best one, no questions asked.

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