Twitch debuts shoppable, skippable ads as TwitchCon feels growing pains Marketing Dive · Getty Images Peter Adams Fri, November 13, 2026 at 10:14 AM EST 3 min read AMZN -1.04% Trade AMZN on Coinbase Trading disclosure Trading disclosure The above button links to Coinbase. Yahoo Finance is not a broker-dealer or investment adviser and does not offer securities or cryptocurrencies for sale or facilitate trading. Coinbase pays us for certain activity generated through this link. Prices displayed are informational.
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Twitch unveiled a pair of new ad formats as it kicks off its creator and fan conference TwitchCon this weekend, according to news shared with Marketing Dive.
The Amazon-owned livestreaming service on Friday launched an in-stream shoppable ad product in open desktop beta for advertisers in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, the platform in December will roll out a skippable ad offering in open beta.
Skippable ads are billed as a cost-effective option, as brands will only pay for inventory when a Twitch viewer watches an ad for over 30 seconds, finishes a shorter ad or clicks on an ad.
New ad launches for Twitch are part of Amazon's efforts to turn the livestreaming service into a full-funnel advertising channel while shoring up its image as a place that consistently attracts a young, highly engaged user base. Amazon is trying to position Twitch as a destination for sustained consumer attention but TwitchCon, its signature showcase, has been wrestling with growing pains related to creators of late.
Twitch viewers spend over four hours a day on the site, on average, and many creators are known for hosting hourslong streams that feature frequent interactions with their chats. Nearly 70% of Twitch's global audience is Gen Z and millennials, many of whom can't be found on Prime Video, the announcement said. Ninety-two percent of ads on Twitch are seen by viewers, above averages for other social platforms, per new research that measurement firm Lumen conducted on behalf of Amazon.
Shoppable ads are one way for Amazon to demonstrate that Twitch campaigns can be tied directly to business results. The format appears as an overlay to Twitch video ads and works in a similar fashion to interactive video ads on Prime Video. Users can add products featured in the Twitch ad to their Amazon cart, browse different styles and buy directly from the e-commerce site, shortening the path from brand message to transaction. Twitch shoppable ads can be bought alongside Prime Video inventory via the Amazon Ads Agent.
Any shoppable products will already be on Amazon, meaning brands do not need to create a separate landing page or individual creative. Twitch will bring the format to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and Asia Pacific throughout H1 next year, and later plans to introduce iterations designed for Twitch on mobile and connected TV.
Skippable ads appear to be a way for Amazon to court a wider range of brands to Twitch, since the option is promoted as being more budget-friendly. Skippable ads are self-service and performance-oriented, with advertisers only paying when a viewer remains engaged. Razer, the gaming hardware maker, saw a 2.44 times higher return on ad spend when testing the format in the U.S., about double the ROAS of prior Twitch campaigns focused on standard video. One-third of the customers reached with skippable ads campaigns were new to the brand.
TwitchCon's status as a must-attend destination for top streamers and sponsors has been challenged due to concerns around personal safety and changing creator needs, Digiday reported earlier this week. Creator marketing has evolved from a secondary consideration for many marketers into a core media channel, and the presence of creators at other industry conferences, such as Cannes Lions and Advertising Week, has intensified.
Amazon does not break out Twitch's revenue in earnings reports, but the e-commerce giant's overall rate of advertising growth has slowed. Revenue derived from ad sales was up 12% year over year to $19.6 billion in Q3 2026 compared to 22% during the same period last year.
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