Entertainment has taken a different turn as of late as less people are tuning on to live TV shows and are instead heading online for their entertainment. This is through the form of streaming. This form of content has been made popular over recent years though viral streamers and influencers.
From genres focusing on sports gaming, adventure games, to online casino Canada games. Viewers are gravitating to watching their favourite influencers stream their gaming online for their entertainment nowadays with the additional benefit of learning the games more.
Due to the popularity, there has been a rise in popularity in the number of new streamers. With a rise in popularity and some streaming becoming famous it brings along affiliates. Usually through a formal agreement to be essentially a part of the marketing schemes.
The question is, are the streamers people are watching and the affiliates associated, using game streaming in an ethical manner to influence their audiences?
Watching it live
There are different elements in streaming. There are pre-recorded ones and ones that are streamed live. Unlike tv there aren’t adverts in the live streams, instead it works more through product placement and talking positively about a product featured in the stream.
As viewers are paying attention to the stream, they will inevitably pay attention to these affiliate promotions. Where ethics comes into play with this, is the product needs to be relevant for the audience, for both practicality and ages of typical audiences. Some streaming platforms have this aspect built into them; for instance, Twitch has an affiliate program for its streamers. Like anything, it requires streamers to meet a specific requirement before they reap the benefits.
Amongst some affiliates there may be strict regulatory requirements to follow for both the streamers and the brands creating the affiliating deals. This is purely for viewer protection. Being responsible in the gaming industry is key to creating a reputable career and to ensure your brand as a stream is transparent and accurate in everything you do.
Potential risks
Game streamers that are responsible and take their viewers into account when making business transactions will take everything about their viewer range into account. Making sure that age-gating tools are used to keep younger audiences safe and ensuring that a level of respect is taken into account when advertising certain brands, services and products.
Some level of responsibility will also be taken into account by the streaming platforms themselves, for instance a viewer needing to verify their age before being able to watch specific content.
Popular game streamers
There is a vast amount of popular game streamers out there today. One that has made headlines recently Is the streamer Angry Ginge. With his channel primarily focusing on EA sports FC on platforms like TikTok, Twitch and even the OG YouTube. With a twitch following of over 1.4 million, this gaming streamer has successfully had multiple affiliations but keeps them highly relevant for his target audiences and there is no record of ones he has declined. But from those that he has been associated with, they are very much on brand for his content.
Streamers are popular worldwide. A Canadian example is the popular streamer Pokimane. Known for her gameplay, she reaches her audience through Youtube and her livestreams on Twitch. Showcasing herself play highly requested content of games such as Fortnite and Valorant.
With an average viewer rate of 3540, she reaches quite the audience. Much like Ginge, she has had various affiliations focused more on management and talent groups and even her own company focused towards ‘healthy snack alternatives.’ Which in terms of ethics shows her brand is focused towards to growth of her career alongside the overall wellbeing of her viewers rather than promoting unhealthy alternatives that her competitors may affiliate with.
The Gaming industry is a powerhouse incomparable to any other. With there being a rise in viewer numbers and streamers it is essential for game streamers to focus on their players and to keep their content relevant to their target audience. It is no surprise that companies have adapted how they advertise their products and have utilised these changes to continue their own growth.
Ensuring your affiliates are in line with what your streaming content is key to creating a reliable and relatable brand. It is not worth being called a sell-out just to advertise the wrong product to the wrong brand. As many channels especially gamer ones are built on the creators character and their ethics otherwise there would be no incentive to watch them.
