Kick starts running ads, Mizkif shows one in a stream

Khizar Mundia Published 27/03/2026

Kick has remained ad-free since its inception in 2022, but the platform has now started running advertisements, and Matthew “Mizkif” Rinaudo’s recent stream was one of the first public examples.

Ads are a large part of a livestreaming platform’s revenue, which is why many were bewildered when Kick launched without any.

The platform was offering a more lucrative revenue split to creators without ad revenue, and this continued until 2026. Co-founder Eddie Craven publicly stated in 2025 that, while Kick will introduce ads at some point, the platform wanted to ensure they were unintrusive and wouldn’t reduce the user experience.

Kick introduces unintrusive ads publicly

Mizkif’s stream was the first public instance of an ad in a Kick broadcast, and, as shown below, the advertisement was shown in a small pop-up rather than a full intrusive window.

Image credit: Mizkif

Kick’s ad was similar to Twitch’s muted picture-in-picture type, and many viewers may not have noticed the advertisement if Mizkif hadn’t pointed it out. The streamer claimed “that was the first ad in the history of Kick” and “no one else has that”. Mizkif’s stream confirmed that ads are coming to Kick, though it’s unclear whether the platform is rolling them out more widely for all creators or is still testing them in a beta mode.

Eddie Craven previously stated that the only reason Kick was taking its time to roll out ads was that it was trying to maintain the user experience standard the platform has set. He had also stated that “ads are inevitable“, but the platform “won’t add 1,000 ads”.

Viewer reaction to Kick’s first ad has been largely positive, with many commending the platform for not using an advertisement type that would take over the entire broadcast. The future of Kick ads remains to be seen, but many are optimistic that the platform won’t ruin their experience because based on the unobtrusive first advert.

We will report and official announcements from the platform as soon as they comment on the full rollout, but for now, next time you watch a stream on the platform, keep your eyes peeled on the bottom right of the screen.

What this means for Kick streamers

The biggest benefit of ads for Kick streamers will be the potential for higher revenue, but there may be other positive changes.

Ads make up for the majority of streamer revenue on rival platform Twitch, so the same could be the case for Kick. The benefit of the Stake-backed platform is that it rolled out ads that aren’t interrupting streams, so most viewers are unlikely to be put off. This will likely lead to viewers continuing to watch streams and streamers earning more because ads are also shown simultaneously.

Smaller and less-established streamers may well welcome the news as it gives them the opportunity to grow their ad revenue whilst building up loyal viewers. Bigger streamers can also benefit because sponsors will now have another way to reach audiences. This can make Kick ad revenue a mutually beneficial development.

Kick, of course, is closely linked with Stake, which was also founded by Eddie Craven — you can read up on this with our Stake review along with other altcoin casinos.

Feature image credit: Streamlabs

Khizar Mundia

About Khizar Mundia

Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.

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