Twitch introduces 'Extensions' suite to help foster engagement

Twitch is introducing a new suite of tools called "Extensions" to let creators integrate interactive video player overlays and panels into their broadcasts.  

The community-developed add-ons will help drive engagement and give viewers a new way to interact with their favorite creators and games, which is good news for any devs out there trying to build a Twitch community of their own.

There will be 20 extensions available at launch, ranging from general additions like leaderboards, schedules, and polls, to more niche inclusions such as 'MasterOverwatch' and 'Destiny Armory Overlay,' which seamlessly incorporate games-specific stats into streams. 

Aside from being a fresh way to customize broadcasts, extensions also represent a notable new monetization opportunity. 

For instance, the 'Gear on Amazon' extension highlights Twitch partners and affiliates' favorite Amazon products, making it easy for viewers to find and purchase them, and letting Amazon Associate members earn commission on those sales.

"When it comes to helping creators monetize through product recommendations, it's important to make these features easy to discover and intuitive to use,” said Amazon's VP of affiliate marketing, Piers Heaton-Armstrong.

"Gear on Amazon achieves that by simplifying both the process for signing up to be an Amazon Associate and by making it so creators can showcase the actual products they are using and wanting to promote."

You can find out more about the new toolset, including a detailed breakdown of every extension, over on the Twitch blog.