What is the Twitch adpocalypse? Several streamers report a significant drop in ad revenue of up to 95%

By Richik "anarkiddie" Bhattacharya

Modified Nov 16, 2024 05:23 GMT

Several Twitch streamers have reported a sharp decline in their ad revenue throughout November. Content creators like Kaysan, Stable Ronaldo, Quin69, and others have gone viral after sharing their experiences, with some noting that they have little to no control over the situation. The community has dubbed this phenomenon the "Twitch adpocalypse."

On November 15, 2024, a clip featuring TheStockGuyTV began circulating on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit. In the video, the streamer showcased his creator dashboard to prove that his ad revenue had plummeted over the last couple of weeks.

TheStockGuyTV claimed that his revenue from advertising had gone down by a whopping 95%:

"My advertising revenue is down 95%. Let me show you, because I don't give a sh*t and I am transparent. I averaged about $100-$200 a day in ad revenue, right? Five days a week, you're talking about $600-$700 a week, you're talking about $2800 a month, you know, $3,000 a month."

He also alleged that his ad earnings had dropped from over $100 to a mere $15, despite not being involved in any of the controversies that could have sparked the so-called adpocalypse:

"I am averaging $15, fifteen f**king dollars in ad revenue! I am disabling ads, I can't disable all ads, nobody can. They automatically run. I am going to stop f**king anything I have because I don't know what's going on. I have no idea, I don't pay attention to the sh*t on my platform. I have nothing to do with it. I am sitting here in my own little corner."

For those wondering why so many streamers are having trouble with ad revenue, Devin Nash, the CEO of CLG, said last month that advertisers may be leaving Twitch due to the platform's perceived association with extremist or politically insensitive content. While this claim hasn't been confirmed, it appears to resonate with some content creators who have noticed significant revenue drops.

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Exploring the adpocalypse on Twitch as Asmongold reacts to decreased ad revenue on the platform

FaZe Clan member Kaysan was one of the first major streamers to publicly report a significant ad revenue cut on Twitch. On November 13, 2024, he went live to claim that the platform had demonetized his channel after he used the "Iran" tag in his streams.

His fellow FaZe Clan member, Lacy, has also since revealed that his ad revenue was reduced by 80%.

Another content creator with the username Bigex claimed his streams were receiving no ad revenue at all due to his use of the "Venezuela" tag, based on his country of origin.

Political streamer HasanAbi has voiced strong criticism of Twitch's handling of this situation and seemingly blamed Asmongold for the so-called adpocalypse.

For those wondering, Asmongold recently announced that he would be streaming with Dan Saltman to discuss Twitch's controversial moderation practices and the ongoing allegations of anti-Semitism against the platform.

Twitch has faced criticism for allegedly amplifying anti-Semitic sentiments, with US congressman Ritchie Torres even sending an official letter to CEO Dan Clancy over the platform's handling of such content, including HasanAbi's coverage of the Gaza conflict.

The exact cause of the reported ad revenue drop remains unclear. However, it seems that both the allegations surrounding Twitch's content moderation and Devin Nash's comments about advertisers leaving the platform may be contributing factors.

Asmongold, who has been critical of Twitch’s policies, has suggested that the so-called adpocalypse could be the result of a necessary shift, with some viewers expressing their dissatisfaction with the increasing number of ads on the platform.

With streamers like Lacy, Kaysan, Bigex, and TheStockGuy claiming to have lost a majority of their ad revenue from the start of November, Asmongold seemingly took credit for having played a part in the demonetization. In a now-deleted clip, he can be heard saying:

"I want to say like, obviously, to all the streamers that are looking at me and blaming me, I want to say you're welcome. I know your viewers have been complaining a lot about the amount of ads that you have been running. And I wanted to help your viewers out."

Asmongold claimed that by amplifying the controversy, he had helped viewers who were upset with the number of ads on Twitch. He also expressed indifference to the financial losses faced by larger streamers on the platform:

"I was trying to help them. Let's be real, you're going down to making $100K from $200K a year, ho, ho. Too bad. That's how I see it. That's where I am at."

Readers should note that while Twitch has not addressed the adpocalypse directly, it has updated its Hateful Conduct policy to include the term "Zionist" as a potential slur.