With 35M Unique Viewers A Month, Twitch Hires An In-House Ad Sales Team To Ramp Up Monetization
E-sports streaming powerhouse Twitch has seen explosive growth since its launch to the public nearly two years ago. Today, it boasts an impressive audience of over 35 million unique viewers monthly, a significant increase from the previous figure of 20 million just last September.
To capitalize on this massive reach and position itself for even greater monetization opportunities within the video game industry, Twitch has strategically hired its own in-house sales team. This dedicated unit is designed to aggressively pursue high-value advertising partnerships.
The Formation of an Internal Media Group
This new initiative, led by Chief Revenue Officer Jonathan Simpson-Bint, marks a pivotal moment in Twitch’s business evolution. The internal sales structure replaces the previous partnership model with CBS Interactive and aims to deliver more tailored and integrated ad solutions.
Key roles within this team include:
- SVP of Sales: Kym Nelson
- VP of Sales: Andy Swanson
- Senior Sales Manager: Christina Grushkin
All members bring extensive experience from leading positions in gaming media and advertising. Prior to joining Twitch, their profiles included roles at influential publications like IGN Entertainment and Future US.
Specifically:
- Nelson served as VP of west coast sales at IGN Entertainment for a decade.
- Swanson had diverse leadership experiences including roles at Ubisoft and GameFly.
- Grushkin previously worked in senior capacities within the gaming media sphere.
A Strategic Push into Monetization
Twitch’s expansion is underscored by its burgeoning metrics: not just massive viewership numbers, but also a growing ecosystem of creators. The platform supports more than 600,000 unique broadcasters monthly, demonstrating robust community engagement beyond audience reach.
This growth trajectory continues with nearly 4,000 partner program members contributing content daily – creating an enormous volume that justifies serious advertising investment.
Simpson-Bint emphasized the strategic rationale behind this decision: “The best way for us to truly deliver on Twitch’s unique promise is through deeply integrated custom packages.” He noted they are focusing on building nuanced relationships with diverse advertisers from both inside and outside traditional gaming media channels (often termed ‘endemic’ vs. ‘non-endemic’).
Contextual Growth Timeline
This internal sales effort isn’t an isolated development but aligns with Twitch’s broader business strategy:
- Last fall, the company secured $15 million in Series B funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners.
- This significant investment came during a period of solidifying its position as a key player in the e-sports market.
The platform’s user engagement remains strong: viewers dedicate an average of about 1.5 hours to Twitch each day, creating fertile ground for effective monetization strategies that don’t disrupt core viewing experiences.
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