“I will leave this platform” - Twitch streamer Jerma985 says he’ll leave Twitch if he’s forced to run ads

Popular streamer Jeremy "Jerma985" Elbertson, aka Jerma, has provided his thoughts on Twitch's recent changes to its partner payout system.

In a livestream earlier today, Jerma asked his viewers if they were aware of the platform's decision to change the revenue split and add more ad incentives for content creators.

The 36-year-old then said he would not be running ads on his channel and claimed that if he was compelled to run ads, he would leave Twitch:

"If I am forced to run ads, on this platform, I will leave this platform. 100%. So I'm not going to be forced to run ads."

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Twitch streamer Jerma985 explains why he won't run ads on his channel

On September 21, Twitch's president, Dan Clancy, revealed the upcoming changes planned for Twitch's partner payout system. He disclosed that the platform will forgo the 70/30 split in favor of a new 50/50 subscription revenue system. The new system will go into effect on June 1, 2023.

Clancy also stated that the recent bump in the Ad Incentive Program will help content creators that have been impacted by the revised payout system. Here's an excerpt from the blog post:

"For those who are affected, we wanted to make sure the impact was minimal — not just by giving them ample time before the deal goes into effect — but also by offering an alternative way to earn revenue. Our recent bump in ads revenue share to 55% as part of the Ads Incentive Program is a great way for these larger streamers to make up most, if not all, of that revenue."

Jerma spoke about the aforementioned changes at the six-hour mark of his September 22 broadcast and claimed that he won't be running ads on his channel. He asserted:

"I'm sure probably, some of you saw that the news of Twitch is changing how they monetizing partners. Let me just be very clear, I ain't f***ing running ads! It's just not happening. So, we'll see how that plays out."

After a brief pause, he explained why he did not want to run advertisements:

"I mean, I obviously have opinions on it, and being one of the major ones is, I don't want to be forced to run ads. Because in my mind, a ton of people are already paying, essentially a premium to the stream. So, I don't, 'Oh yeah! Thanks for your, essentially, Netflix-like subscription. Here's a s**t load of ads, everyday! I don't want to do that. So I'm not going to."

Timestamp: 06:46:00

Jerma acknowledged pre-roll ads and said he had no control over them. However, he claimed that he could control other advertisements that run during the broadcast. He said:

"So, here's the thing. Ads do play, pre-rolls play, and I don't really have that much control over that. I do have control over, if one is; essentially runs while you're sitting here, and I don't want to do that. I don't want to run ads."

The streamer added:

"You've seen ads on big streams before, sometimes to fill dead air, sometimes a part of obligation, but regardless of how they're changing the subscription revenue, I'm not going to run ads."

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Fans react to the streamer's sentiments

Jerma985's clip made an appearance on the r/LivestreamFail subreddit and quickly became one of the most highly upvoted posts on the forum.

Here's what Redditors had to say about the streamer's latest comments:

Several streaming personalities such as Zack "Asmongold," Rachell "Valkyrae," Pokelawls, and others have voiced criticism against Twitch's upcoming changes.

YouTube icon Sean "Jacksepticeye" called out Twitch by saying that it was "acting like some amateur platform."