Twitch may be testing out subscriber-only streams, allowing streamers to restrict who can or can't view the content. A Twitch community group saw that the Amazon-owned live streaming platform was running the test on one of its many official Twitch accounts.

A Twitch streamer named LBr Gaming and a Twitch mod named @tomparkes1993 have spotted that Twitch has been testing subscriber-only livestreams on the hgg_cheering_test account, which is an official Twitch account that has a Verified badge. In a screenshot, which was sent to Twitch community source Streamer News, the hgg_cheering_test stream showed a banner that said the account is "streaming for subscribers." The banner also explains that in subscriber-only streams, subscribers will be able to watch, chat, watch streams with no ads, and get special badges and emotes.

The screenshot also seemed to confirm that subscriber-only streams would come with a free preview period which would allow non-subscribers to watch the stream for a few minutes. These teasers could get someone to become a Twitch subscriber, allowing them to see just what they would be subscribing to before they click the button.

Subscriber-only Twitch streams could be a good way for Twitch streamers to make more money from the platform. Some streamers make their money from sponsorships, being paid to play games, or getting money to talk about a product. However, for many Twitch streamers, most if not all of their money comes from subscribers and community support such as tips and subscriber-only streams could be another way to reward fans.

It could also give streamers a way to grow their subscription counts. Most streamers don't expect to get as many Twitch subscribers as Ninja or Summit1G, but this could still help to add a few more subs. Fans who enjoy a streamer and their content but don't want to miss out will hit the subscribe button, but before, they may have been happy to just be a follower.

However, it seems that not everyone is so happy about the idea. Streamer News posted a poll asking how people feel about subscriber-only streams and out of more than 15,000 votes, 71% which is more than 10,000 people, said that it's a bad idea. Twitch is still testing subscriber-only streams, though, and it's unclear when they may be rolled out so if fans are unhappy, Twitch has time to address any issues.