For the first time, Twitch opens sponsored campaigns (and their revenue) to Affiliates

Affiliates on Twitch just got a level-up.

The Amazon-owned platform does something unique with sponsored content: It offers open-invitation campaigns, where brands can list requirements and offer a number of spots, and Partner streamers can apply to join in.

But for the first time, it opened a sponsored campaign to Affiliates, too.

In case you’re not familiar, there are two tiers of affiliation and monetization on Twitch–Affiliate and Partner. Affiliate has a much lower bar; it just requires streamers to reach 25 followers, stream for four hours total across four different days, and reach an average of three viewers on those four different days. Once they become an Affiliate, they unlock the ability to earn money through things like ad revenue and subscriptions.

To qualify for the higher Partner tier, streamers have to hold 12 individual streams over a 60-day period with “a predictable +75 viewers per stream.” And unlike with Affiliate, a streamer meeting Partner qualifications doesn’t automatically mean they will become a Partner. They have to go through an application process with internal review from the Twitch team, and can be denied even if they did hit those 75+ viewers per stream.

So, all that is to say, becoming a Partner is difficult, and so newer/smaller streamers find themselves locked out of monetization opportunities like these open-call sponsorships.

Until this week.

Minecraft partnered with Twitch to run a “Tiny Takeover” sponsored campaign, where both Partner and Affiliate streamers can earn up to $1,000 in bonus revenue by streaming at least one hour of Minecraft gameplay April 6-8.

Streamers who opt in to the Minecraft event will get a “special promotional skin overlay that lets your viewers know you’re part of this exciting campaign,” Twitch said in a company blog post. It also warned that “[t]his is a first-come, first-served opportunity and only available for a limited time, so don’t wait!”

Participating streamers could also get a visibility boost from Twitch: The platform is running a special home page shelf displaying streamers who are part of the campaign.

As for what viewers get, anyone who buys a sub for themself or gifts a sub to another viewer on a participating streamer’s channel will get a Baby Chick Chat Badge. Also, anyone who watches at least five minutes of content on a participating streamer’s channel will get three in-game Drops equippable on their Minecraft avatars: the Hatchling Hat, Turtle Tunes headphones, and Bunnie Beanie.

“This marks a major milestone for our Affiliate community. Sponsored campaigns have traditionally been exclusive to Partners, but we’re expanding access because we believe in supporting creators at every level,” Twitch wrote in its post. “Whether you’re just starting your streaming journey or you’re a seasoned pro, Twitch and Minecraft are offering a chance to get in on the action.”

Twitch is right: This is a big step for Affiliates, and a notable effort from Twitch to promote and monetize smaller streamers. In an age where more people than ever are trying to stream for the first time, this sort of outreach could set Twitch apart from challengers like Kick, and give it longevity others–like DLive, which just announced its shutdown–haven’t been able to master.