Platforms like Twitch have become effective avenues for brands to interact with audiences in novel ways in the constantly changing world of digital advertising. Twitch provides a dynamic environment for advertisers to engage with millions of users who are enthusiastic about gaming, entertainment, and other types of content because of its emphasis on live streaming and community-driven content. Twitch offers a wide variety of ad formats that brands can use to increase the impact of their campaigns. Each format is intended to draw in viewers and encourage interaction.

Providing a thorough overview of the different advertising options that brands can use to successfully reach their target audiences, this blog explores the world of Twitch ad formats. From interactive sponsorships to premium video advertisements and high-impact media placements, Twitch offers a wide range of options for brands to present their goods and services in an engaging and immersive way. 

High Impact Media on Twitch

Twitch offers high-impact ad formats designed to capture viewers' attention and maximize brand awareness. Two prominent options for advertisers seeking to make a splash on the platform include the First Impression Takeover and the Homepage Headliner ad units.

Twitch First Impression Takeover Ad
Twitch First Impression Takeover Ad

First Impression Takeover

  • Description: With the First Impression Video Takeover, brands can showcase their ads to viewers during their first Twitch broadcast of the day. This exclusive product is sold on a per day per geo basis, ensuring maximum visibility.
  • Specifications:
    • Length: Up to 30 seconds, unskippable
    • Resolution: Minimum 1920x1080
    • Bitrate: Ranging from 4,000 kbps to 10,000 kbps
    • Audio: -9dB
    • File Format: H.264 (MP4)
    • Frame Rate: 24-30fps
  • Trackable Events: Supported tracking events include Impressions, Clicks, Quartiles, and Completes. VAST 3.0 is supported for video transcodes.
  • Geo Targeting: Available in North America, South America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions.
Twitch Headliner Ad
Twitch Headliner Ad

Homepage Headliner

  • Description: The Homepage Headliner ad unit is a premium cross-screen placement on the Twitch desktop homepage and mobile app default landing page, ensuring maximum visibility to users.
  • Specifications:
    • Desktop Unit:
      • Left Unit: 450x350 dimension, 150kb max file size, JPG or PNG format
      • Right Unit: 450x350 dimension, 150kb max file size, JPG or PNG format
      • Hex Color Code: Mandatory gradient color fade included in left and right graphics.
    • Mobile Unit:
      • Dimensions: 1080x1920
      • File Size: 350kb max
      • File Format: JPG/PNG
  • Creative Guidelines: Minimum 12pt font for copy, 9pt font for claims/disclaimers, and specific safe zone recommendations for text and CTA button placement.
  • Tags and Trackers: Supported 3rd party tracking events and video transcodes for optimal playback across devices.

By leveraging these high-impact ad units on Twitch, brands can effectively engage with audiences, amplify brand visibility, and drive impactful campaigns that resonate with Twitch's diverse user base across various regions.

Premium Media Advertising on Twitch

Premium media advertising on Twitch offers brands exclusive opportunities to engage with the platform's highly engaged audience through impactful ad placements. With premium video ads, stream display ads, mid-feed ads, super leaderboards, and medium rectangles, advertisers can strategically position their messaging to reach users across various devices and content experiences.

Twitch Premium Video Ad
Twitch Premium Video Ad

Premium Video Ads

  • Description: Premium Video Ads on Twitch allow brands to seamlessly integrate video ads into live broadcasts, ensuring unskippable, above-the-fold visibility across desktop, mobile, tablet, console, and streaming TV inventory.
  • Specifications:
    • Length: Up to 30 seconds, with an option for up to 60 seconds for an additional fee.
    • Resolution: Minimum 1920x1080, supporting bitrates from 4,000 kbps to 10,000 kbps.
    • File Format: H.264 (MP4), with frame rates of 24-30fps.
  • Trackable Events: Supported tracking events include Impressions, Clicks, Quartiles, and Completes, with VAST 3.0 compatibility for video transcodes.
Twitch Stream Display Ad
Twitch Live-Stream Display Ad

Stream Display Ads

  • Description: Stream Display Ads organically integrate brand messaging alongside live streams, allowing advertisers to connect with hyper-engaged viewers without disrupting their experience.
  • Specifications:
    • Dimensions: Various sizes available including 728x90, 160x600, and 320x50 for desktop, and 320x50 and 160x600 for mobile.
    • File Format: Supports GIF, JPG, or PNG formats with animation lengths up to 15 seconds.
  • General Guidelines: Minimum font sizes for copy and disclaimers, with optional borders based on contrast ratios.

Mid-Feed Ads

  • Description: Mid-Feed Ads on Twitch are full-screen 1080x1920 display ads that seamlessly integrate within the Twitch mobile app's discovery feed experience.
  • Specifications:
    • Dimensions: 1080x1920 for full-screen display.
    • File Format: Supports JPG or PNG static images, with minimum font size requirements for copy and disclaimers.
Twitch Super Leaderboard Ad
Twitch Super Leaderboard Ad

Super Leaderboard

  • Description: The Super Leaderboard ad format on Twitch engages viewers while they explore content, supporting animated assets to enhance brand messaging.
  • Specifications:
    • Dimensions: 728x90 for desktop, with animation length restrictions and guidelines on font sizes and borders.
Twitch Medium Rectangle Ad
Twitch Medium Rectangle Ad

Medium Rectangle

  • Description: Medium Rectangle ads on Twitch keep viewers engaged as they scroll and explore content, offering a non-intrusive yet effective advertising solution.
  • Specifications:
    • Dimensions: 300x250 for both desktop and mobile, with file format support for GIF, JPG, or PNG images.

By leveraging these premium media ad formats on Twitch, brands can create immersive and engaging ad experiences that resonate with Twitch's diverse and highly engaged audience, driving brand visibility, engagement, and conversions effectively.

Sponsorships & Promotions on Twitch

Streamables

Streamables on Twitch provide a unique advertising opportunity where viewers opt into a full-screen ad experience while engaging with a Twitch Partnered mobile game. This format offers a non-skippable livestream lasting 30 seconds, allowing brands to capture the audience's attention effectively.

  • Required Assets:
    • Brand Logo Asset: Minimum width of 250px, in PNG format, visible on a dark background.
    • Splash Screen Text: Supports up to 70 characters.
  • Reporting:
    • Includes impressions, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), :30s completed views and quartiles, and live Twitch views.
  • Tags and Trackers: Third-party redirecting or 4th party tags are not accepted. All components must be SSL-compliant for secure serving.
Twitch Streamable Ads
Twitch Streamable Ads

Bounty Board

Bounty Board serves as a marketplace facilitating connections between brands and Twitch influencers for paid sponsorship opportunities. It offers a brand-safe environment for promoting gameplay features, trailers, products, and experiences to a wide audience.

  • Gameplay Features:
    • Influencers showcase gameplay features of your game to their audiences.
    • Required Assets:
      • Broadcaster targeting, game title, platform(s), brand name, bounty title, suggested talking points, game access keys or URL, and box art.
    • Optional Assets:
      • Call-to-action (CTA), tracking tags for DCM, Sizmek, or Nielsen DAR.
  • Trailer Blasts:
    • Influencers showcase your trailers during their streams to engage their viewers.
    • Required Assets:
      • Broadcaster targeting, brand name, trailer play title, bounty title, suggested talking points, cover art, and link to the trailer.
    • Optional Assets:
      • CTA, box art, tracking tags for DCM, Sizmek, or Nielsen DAR.
  • Lifestyle (Shopping):
    • Influencers engage with your brand's website for shopping or browsing experiences.
    • Required Assets:
      • Broadcaster targeting, brand name, bounty title, suggested talking points, and optional assets like CTA, box art, gift card codes.
  • Reporting:
    • Detailed reporting metrics include streamers activated, impressions, uniques, billable views, total views, total minutes watched, average minutes watched per user, and call-to-action CTR.

These sponsorship and promotion opportunities on Twitch provide brands with diverse ways to engage with Twitch influencers, showcase their products, and connect with audiences in meaningful ways. Whether through gameplay features, trailers, or lifestyle promotions, Twitch offers a dynamic platform for brands to enhance their visibility and engagement within the gaming and entertainment community.

We prepared an in-depth guide for those interested in learning more about Twitch advertising, offering valuable insights and comprehensive information to help brands navigate and maximise their advertising strategies on this dynamic platform.

What about alternative advertising options on Twitch?

Onezee: Connecting brands with streamers through live-stream ads

Onezee transforms streamer and brand collaborations with innovative solutions, providing brands a fresh approach to reach specific audiences through partnerships with emerging gaming and lifestyle streamers. Brands have the opportunity to engage with a range of audiences in real-time by integrating strategic promotions into live broadcasts.

Onezee live-stream ads
Onezee live-stream ads

Employing a sophisticated algorithm, Onezee analyses creator profiles and audience data to facilitate precise matches, guaranteeing campaigns resonate with genuinely invested followers. By collaborating with emerging livestream talent, brands can reach Gen Z viewers on their terms and reach niche audiences that traditional media frequently ignores. Direct collaboration with Onezee eliminates unnecessary middlemen, directing more resources toward optimised influencer campaigns and detailed analytics for comprehensive insights. With dedicated account support, brands benefit from tailored guidance on objectives, creator selection, and thorough reporting to assess campaign performance accurately.

Additionally, Onezee simplifies sponsored stream campaign setup, enabling brands to interact with qualified streamers and quickly deploy branded assets. By offering a platform that combines voice-activated, engaging ads during live streams with interactive chatbot features, Onezee empowers brands to create immersive advertising experiences tailored to the dynamic nature of livestream content.