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Twitch Revenue Calculator UK (2026)

Twitch revenue splits across three streams: subscriptions (50/50 standard, 60/40 Plus Programme, 70/30 legacy), bits (~£0.0080 per bit to creator), and ads (~£1.50 RPM). This calculator combines all three to estimate UK creator earnings.

Last verified: 25 April 2026 Source: Twitch Partner help Next review: 25 October 2026
Inputs
Bits = ~£0.0080 each to creator. 5,000 bits = £40.
UK CPM ~£1.50 creator-side. Plus Programme members get a slightly higher cut.
Programme tier —
Tier 1 sub revenue —
Tier 2 sub revenue —
Tier 3 sub revenue —
Subscription revenue total —
Bit revenue —
Ad revenue —
Total monthly revenue —
Standard streamer — 50 T1 + 5 T2 + 1 T3, modest activity
Standard 50/50 · 50 Tier 1 · 5 Tier 2 · 1 Tier 3 · 5,000 bits · 50,000 ad impressions

Subs at 50/50: (50 × £3.99 + 5 × £7.99 + 1 × £19.99) × 50% = £129.72. Bits: 5,000 × £0.0080 = £40. Ads: 50k impressions × £1.50/1000 = £75. Total £244.72/month. Subs are the largest revenue stream for typical streamers.

Plus Programme above threshold — 200 T1 subs
Plus_above 60/40 · 200 Tier 1 · 0 Tier 2 · 0 Tier 3 · 10,000 bits · 200,000 ad impressions

Plus Programme above threshold: 60/40 split. 200 × £3.99 × 60% = £478.80 sub revenue. Bits £80, ads £327.27 (Plus Programme bumps ad RPM by ~9%). Total £886.07. Higher tiers in Plus = more revenue per sub but threshold cuts back to 50/50.

Legacy partner — 100 T1 + 10 T2 + 2 T3
Legacy 70/30 · 100 Tier 1 · 10 Tier 2 · 2 Tier 3 · 5,000 bits · 100,000 ad impressions

Legacy partners (grandfathered into 70/30): (100 × £3.99 + 10 × £7.99 + 2 × £19.99) × 70% = £363.22. Bits £40, ads £150. Total £553.22 vs £394.05 the same activity would earn at standard 50/50. Legacy is gold-tier — Twitch can’t take it back from existing legacy creators.

Twitch revenue is more complex than YouTube’s RPM-by-niche model. Three streams (subs, bits, ads) with different splits, plus the recent 2023 standardisation of partner sub splits at 50/50 (with the older 70/30 grandfathered for legacy partners). The calculator above models all three.

Three revenue streams

Subscriptions are the dominant stream. Three tiers: - Tier 1: £3.99/month - Tier 2: £7.99/month - Tier 3: £19.99/month

Creator share depends on programme tier: - Standard / Affiliate / new Partners post-2023: 50/50 - Plus Programme below £75k threshold: 50/50 - Plus Programme above threshold: 60/40 - Legacy partners (grandfathered pre-2023): 70/30

Bits are Twitch’s micro-tipping currency. Subscribers buy bits in bundles (~£0.0114 each effective), then “cheer” them in chat. Creator receives ~£0.0080 per bit (~70% of the purchase price). 1,000 bits cheered = £8 to creator.

Ads pay creators per impression. UK CPMs around £1.50 per 1,000 impressions creator-side (Plus Programme ~9% higher). Ad revenue is typically the smallest of the three streams for established streamers.

Typical revenue split for active streamers

For a streamer with 50 Tier 1 subs averaging:

Stream Monthly % of total
Subs £100 41%
Bits £40 16%
Ads £75 31%
Sponsorships (not modelled) varies typically 10-30%

Sponsorships sit outside this calculator and often dominate revenue for top-tier streamers. Below ~1,000 active viewers, sponsorships are uncommon; most income comes from the three platform-paid streams.

Subs vs ads — the tier-2 trap

Subscribers self-select into Tier 1 (£3.99) overwhelmingly. Across Twitch, Tier 1 represents ~95% of subs by count. Tier 2 (~5%), Tier 3 (~1%). Don’t optimise content for “more Tier 3 subs” — they don’t move the needle. Optimise for total subscriber count instead.

Plus Programme threshold

The Plus Programme split (60/40 above £75k revenue) creates a modest cliff. Below the threshold, you’re at 50/50. Cross the threshold and the next pound earns 60/40 — until the rolling 12-month window resets.

For most streamers this is purely theoretical. The threshold equates to ~£75k/year in TWITCH revenue (i.e. after Twitch’s cut) — which means you need to be one of the larger UK streamers to hit it.

Sponsorships, donations, and merch (not modelled)

The biggest revenue streams for established streamers:

  • Sponsorships — direct deals with gaming companies, peripheral brands, food brands. Negotiated outside Twitch.
  • Donations — via Streamlabs, StreamElements, Ko-fi widgets. Platform takes 0%; YOUR processor (PayPal, Stripe) takes its cut.
  • Merch — print-on-demand or fulfilment; revenue depends on your store setup. See Printful UK profit calculator.
  • YouTube secondary — many Twitch creators clip and upload to YouTube for additional ad revenue. See YouTube RPM calculator.

For tax: all of this stacks. Use the multi-platform tax aggregator for the combined view.

Common mistakes
  • Assuming the headline 50/50 split is universal. It’s not. Standard streamers (most affiliates and partners post-2023): 50/50. Plus Programme below threshold: 50/50. Plus Programme above ~£75k revenue threshold: 60/40. Legacy partners (grandfathered pre-2023): 70/30. Big difference at scale.
  • Counting Twitch ad RPM as comparable to YouTube. Twitch CPMs are typically half YouTube’s because Twitch’s ad placements are mostly mid-stream pre-rolls, not video-pause and Shorts. UK Twitch RPM ~£1.50; UK YouTube long-form vlog RPM ~£2.20. Twitch ads are a smaller fraction of total revenue than for YouTubers.
  • Forgetting bits ≠ pure profit. Subscribers buying bits pay roughly £0.0114 each; you receive £0.0080. Twitch and the payment processor split the £0.0034 difference. So bit revenue isn’t 100% of bit-purchase value — it’s ~70%.
  • Ignoring tax. Twitch revenue is UK self-employment income. £1,000 trading allowance applies; above that, income tax + Class 4 NI. See the side hustle tax calculator.
  • Counting tier 2/3 sub revenue as proportionally bigger. Tier 2 (£7.99) is 2× Tier 1 (£3.99) gross but proportionally not many subscribers upgrade. Most streamers see 90-95% Tier 1, 5-10% Tier 2, 1-2% Tier 3. Don’t model ‘half my subs are Tier 2’ — that’s unusual.
What this calculator doesn't cover
  • Doesn’t include Hype Train bonuses or sub-bomb scenarios (one-off events).
  • Doesn’t model donation revenue (Streamlabs, StreamElements — typically 0% commission for the platform but YOU choose the processor like PayPal/Stripe).
  • Doesn’t include sponsorships, brand deals, or affiliate marketing — these are typically the largest revenue stream for established streamers.
  • Ad RPM is a UK 12-month average; actual rates fluctuate ±25% with seasonality and ad market conditions.
  • Plus Programme threshold modelled simplistically — real implementation has rolling 12-month windows with cliff transitions.

Frequently asked questions

What's the actual Twitch sub split for me?

Most streamers (Affiliates and Partners post-2023): 50/50. Plus Programme up to ~£75k revenue: 50/50. Plus Programme over threshold: 60/40. Legacy partners (grandfathered): 70/30. Check your dashboard for your specific tier — it’s not negotiable.

Why are bit RPMs so low compared to subs?

Bits cost subscribers £0.0114 each; you receive £0.0080 (~70%). Twitch and the bit-bundle payment processor split the rest. Subs are essentially ‘guaranteed monthly revenue at one big transaction’; bits are ‘discretionary tips at thousands of small transactions’ — the per-bit fee is higher because of the small-transaction problem (similar to Substack/Stripe’s £0.30 fixed fee on small charges).

How does Twitch compare with YouTube for creator revenue?

Different models. YouTube pays per-view via AdSense (£2-£18 RPM by niche). Twitch pays via subs (£2-£15 per active subscriber per month) + bits + lower ad rates. Most successful streamers earn ~70% of revenue from subs, ~10% from ads, ~5-10% from bits, and ~10-15% from sponsorships. YouTubers’ breakdown depends entirely on niche and Shorts vs long-form mix.

Are Twitch payouts reported to HMRC?

Yes once thresholds (£1,700/year or 30 transactions) are crossed. Twitch reports under Digital Platform Reporting rules. Reporting is administrative — owing tax is separate. See HMRC reporting checker.

Do I owe UK tax on Twitch income?

Yes — UK self-employment income. £1,000 trading allowance applies; above that, income tax + Class 4 NI. Stack on PAYE if you have a day job. Use the side hustle tax calculator for the full marginal-rate maths.

About this calculator. Maintained by Jordan — a UK seller and creator who actually uses these platforms (Etsy, eBay, Vinted, DistroKid). Built to be accurate, mobile-fast, and honest about its limits. Spot a bug? Email hello@payoutmath.co.uk.