Twitch’s new ads are way less disruptive

Twitch is experimenting with a new type of ad format for streamers that appears to be much less disruptive than the pre- and mid-roll ads that take over an entire stream. The new ads, called Stream Display Ads, instead show up under or around somebody’s stream but don’t stop you from seeing or hearing what’s going on.

You can get an idea of how one style, which is a banner ad, looks in this tweet from Twitch.

The ads can also take over more of the screen, like so:

The ads will last for 10 seconds, and you won’t be able to close or minimize them while they’re showing, according to an FAQ from Twitch. They’ll show up automatically, and Twitch promises that there won’t be more than eight in an hour. That amount “may fluctuate as demand changes,” the company says.

I’m finding it hard to believe that I’m excited by an ad format, but I feel like I’ll like these new ads more than the current pre- and mid-roll video ads, which prevent me from seeing the actual stream itself. I’m sure I’ll get annoyed by these new ads at some point, too, but since they’ll let me keep watching a stream without too much interruption, I think I’m going to mind them a lot less.