Study finds Twitch influencer marketing benefits indie game publishers

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Researchers at the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management found that independent video game publishing companies are seeing a better return on investment than larger publishers when sponsoring Twitch influencers to market their games.

According to the recent study, The Promotional Effects of Live Streams by Twitch Influencers, positive returns on investment were mainly seen by smaller publishing companies and niche games, while larger companies were shown to have a loss of revenue. The average ROI from all samples in the study was -95 percent, showing a strong loss of investment. Alternatively, the smaller, more highly rated games made up 16 percent of the sample that saw high returns.

Researchers note that there are several factors affecting whether Twitch sponsorships result in increased sales. Viewers’ personal taste, the popularity of a game, and whether the promotion feels organic should be taken into consideration when looking at ROI figures. Results of the study suggest that sponsorships for smaller titles appear more authentic to viewers.

Abi Le Guilcher of Future Friends Games represents a small publishing company that sees positive returns from influencer partnerships. “There are lots of conversations that happen nowadays about whether influencer marketing is worth it,” Le Guilcher said during Impact! Indie Games 2026.

She explained, “Influencer marketing is still very important because it creates such a good sense of community and really gets your game out there. We’ve honestly found that a game is more likely to go viral and sell better if it’s sold by influencers.”

Twitch is the largest video game streaming platform in the world, with up to 6 million viewers visiting the site at a time, which is more than Fox News, CNN and MSNBC combined. The top streamers on Twitch often see upwards of 100,000 concurrent viewers during their peak times. With audiences of that size, video game publishing companies have recognized the opportunity to market their products by sponsoring Twitch streamers to play their games live. This marketing strategy allows them to reach influencers’ audiences and engage with their communities directly.

Over the past decade, live commerce has rapidly grown into a lucrative market in parts of the world. Strategic management consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimated that in China, livestream shopping earned $423 billion in 2022, and they predict the United States livestreaming commerce market to reach $67.8 billion this year. As livestreaming continues to grow and influence the economy, video game publishers are likely to seek the most effective ways to invest in influencer marketing.