Twitch launched an experimental "Elevated Chat" feature Thursday, enabling viewers in participating channels to pin messages for set durations in exchange for cash.
The test is set to last for four weeks and is not supported on mobile devices.
For the experiment, Twitch said it "randomly selected a proportionally small group of creators." These creators can't opt out of the test.
The Creators will receive a 70/30 split of elevated chats purchased by viewers, after taxes and fees.
The way to tell if a channel has been selected for the experiment is if the Elevated Chat icon is present next to the Cheer icon.
There are five tiers of Elevated Chat durations available for viewers to make a one-time payment per message:
- 30 seconds: $5
- 1 minute: $10
- 1 minute and 30 seconds: $25
- 2 minutes: $50
- 2 minutes and 30 seconds: $100
Multiple viewers can send an Elevated Chat message at once, which creates a queue managed by streamers and moderators.
Elevated chats must follow the same rules as other chat messages in a channel. They cannot be empty. If a streamer or moderator determines that an Elevated Chat breaks the rules of the channel, they can delete it without having to give a refund.
During the experiment, streamers, moderators and viewers will see Elevated Chat appear either at the top of the chat or at the bottom of the video.
This article was originally published on dbltap as Twitch Testing 'Elevated Chat' Paid Chat Feature.
