Twitch boost function reportedly has no real impact
Test results inconclusive.
A report has suggested Twitch's new paid boost feature has no real impact on viewer numbers.
The function was tested over the past month among a subsection of streamers in the US. It allows both viewers and streamers to pay to "boost" a stream to a front page slot for extra promotion.
However, reporter Zach Bussey (who covers Twitch stories) has collected the data and believes there's no immediate impact from using the feature.
Bussey compared the data from the test month to the previous month for a number of streamers involved in the test. That data includes average concurrent viewers, followers, peak views and more - in theory, all engagement should increase with the boost.
His findings were inconclusive with no clear benefits. While some stats increased, others decreased on an almost 50/50 basis.
In fact, 60 out of the 125 streamers Bussey looked at had fewer views during the boost. He also created a "victory percentage" stat as a reflection of increased stats; only 49 percent of the streamers had an overall increase in engagement.
It's important to note that this was a test by Twitch and, with such inconclusive results, is perhaps unlikely to be fully implemented.
The feature also received a lot of negative feedback from streamers, as many were unhappy with the money paid for a boost going to Twitch and not the streamer themselves. These results suggest streamers and viewers would be paying Twitch for no immediate gains.
Some streamers involved in the test didn't stream at all - perhaps due to negative feedback - which may have also brought down averages.
Watch Bussey's video in full below.
