Understanding Digital Patronage: Why Do People Subscribe to Streamers on Twitch?
summary
Mixed-method study uses 375 in-person surveys at TwitchCon plus interviews and observations to show recurring subscriptions function as ongoing investments rather than one-off donations. Results identify six motivations (content, monetary support, education, connection, perks, loyalty), note Twitch’s fixed $5/$10/$25 tiers and Twitch Prime, report Ninja’s million-subscriber case and small streamers monetizing 13 viewers, and highlight that emotes as paid virtual identity drive patronage and create scaling and management problems.
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