In an effort to establish more transparency among advertisers and broadcasters, Twitch has added a "sponsored" tag that will denote when a stream is sponsored by a brand.
Due to the potential reach many Twitch broadcasters have with consumers, it's not uncommon for advertisers to run "influencer campaigns," an advertising strategy that sees a well-known broadcaster playing a newly release or sometimes pre-released title. Though Twitch has always encouraged broadcasters to acknowledge if they are playing games as part of a promotional campaign, it's sometimes not always clear to the viewers.
"Sometimes though, because of a lack of clear best practices and shifting regulatory guidelines, coupled with a sometimes less-than-transparent sponsor relationship, these kinds of campaigns have become a bit of a dark corner in the industry, and that’s bad for everyone," Twitch's Matthew DiPietro, VP of Marketing and Communications, explained.
"Simply put: We want complete transparency and unwavering authenticity with all content and promotions that have a sponsor relationship."
As a result of this change, viewers will now have a better idea as to what is paid for and what is not. Aside from the graphics attached to sponsored content, Twitch partners/influencers shouldn't notice any other major changes, while brands/advertisers will supposedly "benefit from the trust afforded by completely transparent sponsorship campaigns."
Twitch users should begin seeing the "sponsored" tag starting today.
