Twitch launching affiliate program to make monetization mainstream

Earlier this week Twitch confirmed it plans to add new subscription tiers to help Twitch Partners make a living, and now the streaming giant says it'll be rolling out a new Affiliate Program to help non-partnered steamers do the same. 

The new initiative will let qualifying content creators outside of the Partners bubble earn revenue through previously inaccessible on-platform tools. 

Although the program will be invite-only at launch, Twitch says it wants to ensure the bar for entry is "relatively low," and will be dishing out invites based on criteria such as time spent streaming, viewership, and followers.

"Twitch is built upon looking to our content creators with both large and small communities to learn how we can best serve their needs," said Twitch's SVP of commerce and developer success, Ethan Evans. 

“With our upcoming Affiliate Program, we will be able to open up a means of support from the community to a whole new class of creators numbering in the tens of thousands."

The first monetization tool available to Affiliates will be 'Cheering With Bits.' Previously reserved for partnered streamers, Cheering is a way for viewers to react and show support in Twitch chat using animated Bit emotes (shown below) purchased via Amazon Payments. 

What's notable for Affiliates is the fact that Twitch provides the streamer with a cut of the revenue it receives from Bits -- equal to 1 cent per Bit used. 

Cheering will be the only monetization method available to Affiliates at launch, but in the coming months they'll be given access to subscriptions, game commerce, and advertising.