Twitch testing new type of ads, but what does that mean for users?

Reports suggest Twitch is running a trial for a new and less intrusive ad format that will allow users to continue watching streams without the ads taking over, in what could be a dramatic change for the industry-leading platform.

Twitch is the most popular live-streaming platform in operation today and is often hailed as an easy way into the streaming industry. This is in large part thanks to the high number of active viewers that tune in to watch established users. The platform is consistently trying to improve by adding new features that benefit streamers and viewers alike.

The latest feature added to the platform is the Twitch Treasure Trains, which can make subs cheaper. And there is now news that Twitch is trying to make ads less annoying for viewers. The platform is already testing this new feature and viewers have started seeing it appear in select streams. Fans have praised the platform for thinking more about its users by creating something that could potentially cut into ad revenue while creating a better user experience.

Twitch may show muted picture-in-picture ads

Twitch’s new ad format was seen and captured in a Canadian content creator’s stream where muted ads were placed to the side of the screen in a picture-in-picture format without actually interrupting the live broadcast.

Viewers unexpectedly saw this new feature in the wild in a stream of Canadian streamer RottenPapi. She was streaming her content when an ad appeared, making the broadcast window smaller. The ad didn’t pop up and take over the stream as it typically would. It was instead displayed on the side of the screen, allowing viewers to continue watching the stream with minimal interruption.

The ad was also muted by default and the user would have to move the cursor to the volume button and manually select it to unmute the advertisement. While the ad did take up some screen space causing the live broadcast to become a little smaller, it was well worth it for most users in that they were not being forced to watch the ad seeparately before being able to return to the stream.

Twitch hasn’t officially announced this feature so there is not yet any information about when or if it will proliferate to all streams on the platform. But that hasn’t stopped fans from praising Twitch for this new development . Many have expressed their excitement at potentially being able to control whether they want to watch and listen to the ads or the stream. Viewers have also appreciated that the ads are muted by default. The only drawback of this new feature seems to be that the live broadcast will become smaller temporarily, but for most users, that’s a small price to pay for a less intrusive advertising experience.