Twitch has added a new feature for content creators today. Subscribers that leave a channel will now be asked why they’re unsubscribing, with that feedback viewable by content creators in aggregate. Twitch says this feature was long been requested so content creators can better serve their viewers, but it seems only the largest channels can benefit from the data.
When a subscriber clicks that unsubscribe button, they’ll now be handed a survey asking for their reason for leaving. Those reasons can include a change in payment method, wanting to subscribe month-to-month, a conflict with the streamer’s schedule, financial reasons, or the ever-fashionable “other.” The user’s selection is then sent to the content creator who can view all that data in their Channel Analytics tab in a big chart.
Twitch seems to think that a change in the viewer's schedule is what ultimately leads to the most cancellations, but many responses on Twitter say that financial reasons might be a greater concern in today's economy. In either case, there's very little that the content creator can do to keep these subscribers from leaving, so having this data available won't be all that helpful.
Most streamers understand that paying for Twitch content isn't something that everyone can do, and while they're sad to see paid subscribers go, everyone understands that you gotta take care of yourself. Some Twitch streamers have even taken that a step further by limiting the amount anyone can donate in tips.
A much bigger problem for the platform is the hate raids that have been attacking marginalized streamers for some time now. Twitch has received repeated criticism for not developing better tools to protect streamers from hate raids, but earlier this month the platform finally responded to that criticism with an AI-powered tool that keeps bad actors from invading a streamer's chat.
It's still too early to tell how successful Suspicious User Detection is at preventing hate raids, but if it works, we're sure Twitch will start off 2022 by revealing some optimistic statistics. And if not, well, users will just have to keep sharing tactics for combating the haters.