Can You Lose Twitch Affiliate?

Yes, it is possible to lose Twitch Affiliate status. The main ways streamers lose affiliate is due to harassing viewers or other streamers, playing banned games, or multi-streaming on other platforms. Twitch affiliates sign a contract that clearly defines conditions they must comply with. That being said it is uncommon for Twitch to enforce and demote streamers.

Imagine this: You worked hard, filled out your paperwork, and joined the Affiliate program on Twitch. You put countless hours into growing your channel and producing content. One day, you decide to take a hiatus from streaming, or maybe your viewership noticeably declines. Is Affiliate status something that ever is taken away from you?

In this article, we’ll cover the things you will want to avoid if you want to stay in the program, and what you can do if you wish to re-apply. To see the entire Affiliate agreement, you can read it here: Twitch Affiliate Agreement. If you have yet to reach Twitch affiliate status you can read our complete guide on the process here.

Common Ways to Lose Twitch Affiliate

• 1. Breaking Terms of Service

  If you break Twitch’s Terms of Service, which are a list of rules to abide by in order to an account on the platform in the first place, not only is there a chance that you may be removed from the Affiliate program, but there is also a risk of losing your entire account.

  It is highly recommended that you become familiar with Twitch ToS to avoid breaking any rules. You can find the entire Terms of Service agreement here: Twitch Terms of Service.

• 2. Ending Your Agreement

  This is not at all common, however, it is possible to do so if you wish. Interestingly enough, ending your Affiliate status can serve some purposes. Here are some of the reasons you may want to end your agreement:

  • No More Advertisements – Your viewers will no longer experience ads that they are forced to watch.
  • No More Exclusivity – You have the option to stream to multiple platforms at the same time. (Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, etc.)
  • Retain Full Brand Control – While under contract in the Affiliate program, Twitch has the right to use & resell your likeness and brand as they see fit. Terminating your contract will ensure that only you have that control over your brand.

  Keep in mind, you will lose access to various platform features, such as subs, bits, and custom emotes. If you wish to continue, you can offboard your account by contacting Twitch via their Support page.

  

• 3. Multi-Streaming

  Inside of the Affiliate agreement is something called “Live Content Exclusivity”. What this means is that any content you stream live on Twitch cannot be streamed in tandem on any other platform. Multi-streaming on Twitch and various other platforms at the same time (such as YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and TikTok) is prohibited and may result in a ban. This is in effect for at least 24 hours after the end of the original broadcast.

• 4. Not Streaming Often Enough

  Twitch has the right to revoke your Affiliate status if you have not streamed on your account for 12 consecutive months, and you have not yet reached the payout threshold of $100 USD. This policy is pretty lenient, as Twitch stated their goal is not to remove streamers that stream on a semi-regular basis, but instead remove those who have walked away from the program by being completely inactive for extended periods of time.

• 5. Streaming Banned Games

  There are two main criteria that Twitch uses to determine what games can or cannot be streamed.

  1. Games that have an ESRB rating of Adults Only are not allowed on Twitch.
  2. The game violates Twitch’s community guidelines as it applies to hate speech, sex, nudity, gratuitous gore, or extreme violence.

  Knowing this, Cyberpunk 2077 contains a large amount of nudity and sexual content, and it is allowed, as Twitch has stated that it is not a focal point of the game’s content.

  To find out exactly what these games are, you can check out Twitch’s official list here: List of Prohibited Games. This list is regularly updated, so it would be a good idea to reference this list before stream if there is a game in question.

Can You Reapply for Twitch Affiliate If you Lost It?

Twitch does not provide any information regarding re-applying to the Affiliate program. However, much like bans, this too most likely is handled on a per case basis and would depend on the reason your contract was voided in the first place. If you left the program voluntarily, or at least in good standing, you may be let back in if you reach out to Twitch through the support page.

Losing Twitch Affiliate and Bans

Bans are reviewed on a case-to-case basis, meaning not every ban may result in the loss of Twitch Affiliate. Section 9 of the agreement states that Twitch may terminate the agreement at any time, with or without cause. If this happens, you will still be eligible to receive your Twitch payout, unless there is an unpaid balance below the $100 threshold, which would be kept by Twitch.

Conclusion

Being an Affiliate on Twitch is definitely a privilege, not a right, and it can be revoked at any time. Your best bet to avoid this from happening to you is by not breaking the Terms of Service and by streaming at least once a year. If your Affiliate agreement has been voided and you are looking to rejoin the program, you might just be in luck. Provided that you have not broken any major rules on the platform and left on good terms, there is always a chance that you may be able to re-apply and one day be re-instated.