Gifted Subs on Twitch are a form of currency that a user gifts to a streamer or another user on a stream to support their channel. Twitch is a live video streaming service used mostly (although not exclusively) by gamers or streamers, to stream them playing video games while providing commentary to their fans online. Although watching streams and videos broadcasting on Twitch is free, subs and gifted subs have monetary value which can be purchased to send to streamers as a means of commending them. Subs on Twitch are most often a streamer’s main source of income, but how much are they worth when gifted? Let’s see how much a Gifted Sub is worth.
The value of Gifted Subs or Subscriptions can vary depending on their tier. A Tier 1 Sub is worth $4.99, a Tier 2 Sub is worth $9.99 and a Tier 3 Sub is worth $24.99. You, as a viewer, cannot cash out Gift Subs, you gain a subscription to the channel and the streamer receives their cut from that subscription. All Subs are worth half the amount of money to streamers, let’s say you gift a Tier 1 sub ($4.99) to a streamer, they receive roughly $2.5 while Twitch receives the other 50% no matter the subscription tier.
Twitch and its appeal
Twitch garnered mass appeal from gamers, being an essential streaming platform where people stream themselves live either playing video games, talking, cooking, or just being themselves. Various high-stakes eSports competitions and tournaments with millions of dollars in their prize pool are streamed on Twitch too. Even though it is a free service and anyone can watch anyone who’s streaming, Twitch has given a way for people to monetize their gaming hobbies through Bits and Subscriptions. Bits are considered Twitch’s currency which viewers can use to “cheer” on their favorite streamers, and 1 Bit is worth 1 cent ($0.01). These Twitch Bits act as donations to streamers. Another popular way, worth much more than a Bit is a Twitch Subscription to a channel. Through these Bits and Subscriptions, some popular streamers have earned millions of dollars.
Subscriptions and Gifted Subscriptions
To understand what a Gifted Sub is, you have to understand what a subscription is on Twitch. Subscriptions give viewers the ability to support a channel on Twitch by paying a per-month amount, either on a one-time basis or a recurring basis. Think of it as buying a Netflix subscription, but instead, this subscription is to a Twitch channel that you choose to support. Viewers on Twitch can buy subscriptions to show support for their favorite streamers. Many Streamers prefer being given subscriptions (subs) rather than receiving donations, as this helps build a community and promote the stream. This subscription, when given or gifted to a user is referred to as a ‘Gift Sub’. The user, in this case, can be a viewer or a streamer. When you as a viewer have been given a Gift Sub, you gain a subscription to a channel of the Gifted Sub worth giver’s choice. The Twitch streamer can also gift subscriptions to their channel to their active viewers, this is a way to reward the viewer, granting them subscription benefits.
Benefits of a Subscription
Although Subscriptions are voluntary and not required to watch channels on Twitch, they grant the subscriber various sub-only perks and benefits including –
- Exclusive chat emotes.
- Access to a chat only for subscribers
- Subscriber Badges.
- Subscriber-Only VODs (Video on Demand).
- Ad-free viewing.
How to give Gift Subs?
If you feel like it, you can gift subs to a friend or other viewers of a channel who you find worthy of a reward, here’s how –
- While watching a stream, click the purple Subscribe button below the video.
- Click on “Gift a Sub”
- Choose a Subscription Tier
- Choose the number of months to give a subscription for (1 month to a year)
- Click on Gift a Subscription.
Doing this will randomly gift a sub to a member of the streamer’s community. If you want to gift it to a specific viewer, click the “Gift to a Specific Viewer” button. You can also click on “Gift Anonymously” to hide your name when the receiver gets a notification indicating someone has gifted them a sub.
Tips to earn Gift Subs
You can get rewarded with Gift Subs by Moderators and other people watching the stream randomly or because they found you worthy of a Gift Sub! Being active on a streamer’s streams, interacting with their community often, and being supportive overall can help you on your quest to achieve some Gift Subs. Keep an eye out for channels garnering a lot of traffic as these channels tend to win over their audience by gifting them subs.
Conclusion
Gift Subs can be a great way to reward a viewer for their support and goes a long way in encouraging good behavior in a community. Although being gifted a gift sub worth rewards you with no money, it registers you as a subscriber for a certain period, and you can gain all the benefits the streamer has set up for their subscribers.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is a Gifted Sub worth the same as a Regular Sub?
Yes, Gift Subs and Regular Subs cost the same, and streamers make the same amount of money regardless of whether the sub has been gifted to the viewer or the viewer has bought the sub themselves.
- Are Gift Subs free to streamers who give them away?
No, Twitch still takes their half of the pay so technically, it costs streamers half the amount it’d normally cost when they gift subs.
