In this week’s edition of Five on Friday, we’re sharing the good and the bad. Both YouTube and Twitch have updated monetization guidelines for their creators. However, one is a welcome change, and the other has some creators upset. Apple has made some adjustments to their Apple Card financing for iPhone and Apple Watches, and Netflix has decided to take a bite out of an unexpected industry – restaurants. Last but not least, Twitter rolled out 25,000 character tweets for Twitter Blue subscribers.

YouTube Updates Partner Program Eligibility

YouTube is updating eligibility to its YouTube Partner Program, which will lower the barrier for entry, and allow more creators to monetize their content. With the change, they are expanding the program to give creators earlier access to fan funding and shopping features.

To be eligible for the YouTube Partner Program, creators must follow channel monetization policies, live in a region where the program is available, have no active Community Guidelines strikes, have two-step verification enabled, have access to advanced features, and have an active AdSense account.

If a creator is in Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, the US or the UK, they can now utilize the updated eligibility guidelines. A creator can now be eligible with 500 subscribers and either 3,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months, or 3 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days, The Verge reported. YouTube previously required 1,000 subscribers and either 4,000 public watch hours, or 10 million valid Shorts views.

Once a creator is approved for the program with the new threshold, they will gain access to monetization tools like Super Thanks, Super Chat and Super Stickers. In addition, they can also have paid channel members, and the ability to promote their own merch through YouTube Shopping, according to TechCrunch. Fan funding from these features has helped to increase creators’ revenue by 20% on average in December 2022, MediaPost reported.

In addition to new creator eligibility, YouTube shared they were expanding their YouTube Shopping affiliate program. Creators with over 20,000 subscribers are now able to feature products and be eligible for commission. Currently, YouTube has partnered with more than 50 brands with more to come.

“Whether you’re a creator who is just starting out on YouTube, or are further along in your YouTube journey, we’re unlocking new ways to make money across the platform,” said Amjad Hanif, VP of Creator Products, in a June 13, 2023 blog post.

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Twitter Blue Subscribers Can Tweet Up To 25K Characters

Remember when tweets could only be 140 characters, and we were so excited to expand that to 280? Twitter Blue subscribers were granted 4K characters in February and as many as 10K in April. Well, now, subscribers can tweet up to 25,000 characters. Twitter calls the feature NoteTweet or long-form tweets. Why would they expand to 25K characters? Afterall, most of us can’t imagine using Twitter for (writing or reading) long-form content. Some say that Twitter is hoping to entice creators to move away from other platforms to use their tools and monetization options instead.

How long is 25K characters? It requires much patience and scrolling.

Last week, Twitter also reported that images can be inserted into the middle of long tweets.

Twitch Launches Partner Plus

Twitch is introducing a new program that would allow streamers to earn an increased split of revenue from streaming. Their new Partner Plus program will give creators 70% of their subscription revenue up to the first $100,000.

Currently, most of Twitch’s streamers get half of their subscription revenues, but the company has negotiated 70/30 splits with some in the past, The Verge reported. Those negotiations took place last summer, when Twitch reduced revenue sharing to 50/50. At that time, the $100,000 threshold was introduced for those on the 70/30 rate. If a streamer hits the $100,000 cap, they revert to a 50/50 revenue split.

To be considered for Partner Plus, a streamer must maintain a minimum of 350 paid subscribers for three months. Once they qualify for this tier, they will remain at Partner Plus for a year, even if they fall below the requirement threshold. Gift subscriptions and Twitch Prime subscriptions do not count toward that 350 threshold, PC Gamer shared.

Streamers that meet the criteria for Partner Plus between July and September will be notified when the program launches in October, Games Industry shared. The requirements remain the same across the board globally, according to Twitch’s FAQ page on the matter.

Reverting to a wider-spread 70/30 split has been controversial for some users and has them thinking of jumping platforms. Meta still isn’t planning to take subscription cuts from Facebook Gaming or Instagram through 2023, and YouTube Gaming already offers a 70/30 split, Digital Music News shared. Kick, a newer gaming streaming platform, is hoping to tempt streamers with a 95/5 revenue split. Twitch may have to fight hard to keep their creators, and it seems like a losing fight now.

The new program comes after Twitch rolled out new guidelines for advertising, and quickly reversing them. The guidelines put in place were around how streamers could display any sponsorships or paid promotions. In tweets addressing the matter, Twitch said the guidelines were bad for creators and for Twitch, and reversed the decision. They highlighted that streamers need sponsorships to grow and earn income, and they no longer wanted to affect that.

Twitch also recently made changes to their Turbo program, increasing the price in some regions and lowering it in others.

Apple Adjusts Certain Apple Card Financing

Apple has allowed users with an Apple Card to make monthly installment purchases for hardware for a while, but they are now rolling out a change to the program. Apple will no longer let customers purchase phone or watch models without a SIM card through financing options. A carrier connection with AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon will be required.

Customers used to have the option to purchase a phone and then connect to a carrier later, 9 to 5 Mac shared. Customers had the freedom to shop around for cell phone service or take it to a carrier that didn’t have as binding of a contract. While users can still purchase a SIM-free phone, they will not be able to finance it with their Apple Card. They will have to buy the phone outright.

Apple did not “clearly and conspicuously” identify the change at first; they just made the change as a footnote on the iPhone purchase page. The change lets users know that carrier connection is required for sales made through Apple Card Monthly Installments starting August 15 through the website. It is currently a requirement for hardware purchases that are financed and purchased in store, as reported by Apple Insider. The change has now been reflected on the Apple Card Monthly Installments page, updated June 15.

Another change being made is the finance window for Apple Watches. The window is shrinking from 24 months to 12 months. If a user wants the two-year purchase window, they can do so until August 15. At this time, no other changes have been made to other purchase options.

Netflix Takes a Bite Out of Revenue Diversification

Netflix, amidst their password sharing crackdown, is trying a new way to diversify their revenue. Last week, they announced their pop-up restaurant, Netflix Bites, would be opening on June 30. With the launch, celebrity chefs who have been featured on the platform will be making the food.

Interested diners can make reservations and partake in the experience at the Short Stories Hotel in Los Angeles. The restaurant will be open seven days a week, open dinner hours, and brunch on the weekends. A reservation requires a $25 nonrefundable deposit per diner. The deposit will go toward the cost of the final bill. Reservations are encouraged, but not required.

Celebrity chefs on the roster include Curtis Stone, Dominique Crenn, Nadiya Hussain and Ann Kim, HypeBeast shared. In addition, there will be custom cocktails from mixologists featured on Drink Masters.  While the celebrity chefs have come up with the menu, they are not there to meet and greet diners, as shared on Bites’ FAQ page. The menu has not been revealed yet.

“Netflix is already a destination for beloved food programming, from documentaries to competition shows. From episode to entrée, with NETFLIX BITES we are creating an in-person experience where fans can immerse themselves in their favorite food shows. We are excited to collaborate with these incredible chefs who will bring this vision to life and showcase an array of their delicious menus,” Josh Simon of Netflix said of the experience.

This is not the first in-person experience Netflix has managed. They have had a comedy festival, a Stranger Things experience, and more. In addition, they have brought Tudum back after two years as a virtual event. The fan event covers news and announcements surrounding Netflix content.

It will be interesting to see how the pop-up restaurant will go over with mixed reactions from subscribers based on password sharing. Could it be something Netflix is using to detract attention?

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