Guide / For creators

How much should
you get paid?

Here's how sponsorship pricing actually works. Whether you're just starting out or have deals lined up, you should know if you're getting paid fairly. Use this calculator to find out how much you can charge.

Rate calculator

Based on $40M+ in negotiated gaming deals.

How to calculate your sponsorship rate

Subscribers look good on paper, but views are what brands actually buy, so your rate rides on your viewership. Use the bands below as a rule of thumb for gaming and gaming-adjacent sponsorships.

YouTube
Integration, 60 to 90 seconds$10–$25 CPM
Dedicated video$50–$100 CPM
Twitch
Live stream, per hour$1.5–$2.5 / avg viewer
Flat per streamHourly rate × hours
TikTok · Instagram
Sponsored reel or video$5–$10 CPM

What moves your rate?

  • Audience geography. Brands pay a lot more for viewers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Western Europe.
  • Brand fit. How well does your content align with the brand? Brands will pay more if your content and audience are the right fit.
  • Engagement and click-through. An audience that comments and likes shows the brand you have an engaged community. Pair that with proof you drive clicks and installs and you justify the top of every band.
  • Usage rights and exclusivity. Ad usage and competitor lockouts are paid add-ons. If a brand wants them, charge for them.
  • Delivery scope. A one-off deal can pay more today, but multi-video packages and longer partnerships bring steadier income and stronger rates over time.

Common mistakes

  • Pricing based on subscriber/follower count. At the end of the day the brand is buying views, not the number of subscribers who may or may not tune in.
  • Sketchy middlemen and "rogue agents." Always check out the brand, agency, or agent that approached you. Anyone can send emails and sponsor materials, but getting paid is a different story.
  • Contracts. Some brands and agencies hide predatory clauses: deferred payments, view guarantees, make-good posts, hidden usage rights and exclusivity. Have a professional look it over before you sign anything.

Performance-based deals

Micro and nano influencers aren't always on brands' radar for flat-rate deals. Keep an eye out for CPI, affiliate, and rev-share deals where you get paid for the real conversions you drive. It's a great model for creators starting out who want to make extra money.

CPI deals

Paid per install your audience generates, tracked through your link.

Affiliate and rev-share

A percentage of the purchases your link drives. Slower money than CPI, but it keeps paying while the video keeps converting.

Why take them

The click-through and install history you build is the proof that justifies flat and CPM rates later.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate my gaming sponsorship rate?

Take your average views across your last 10 to 15 videos, leaving out any viral outliers, and multiply by the format's CPM band: $10–$25 for a 60 to 90 second integration, $50–$100 for a dedicated video. Twitch streams run $1.5–$2.5 per average concurrent viewer, per hour. The calculator on this page does the math for you.

How much do gaming YouTubers charge for sponsorships?

Gaming integrations typically run $10–$25 CPM, and dedicated videos run $50–$100 CPM. Multiply your average views by the CPM and divide by 1,000. Use your last 10 to 15 videos, excluding outliers, as the baseline. The calculator on this page does the math for your channel.

How much should I charge per 100K views for a gaming sponsorship?

Work from your average views, not your best video. At 100K expected views, an integration commonly lands around $1,000 to $2,500, and a dedicated video around $5,000 to $10,000. Niche, engagement, and audience geography decide where you land in those bands.

How much do Twitch streamers charge for sponsorships?

Sponsored streams run $1.5–$2.5 per average concurrent viewer, per hour of sponsored time. Brands pay on concurrent viewers, not follower count. Plug your average viewers into the calculator on this page to get your per-hour rate.

How much should I charge for a sponsored TikTok or Instagram Reel?

Gaming creators typically charge $5–$10 CPM on short-form. Multiply your average views by the CPM and divide by 1,000. Base the average on recent posts and leave out viral outliers so the number holds up in negotiation.

Should I charge a flat rate or CPM for a sponsorship?

Quote a flat rate, but build it from CPM math so you can defend it. Take your average views from your last 10 to 15 videos, excluding outliers, and multiply by the format's band: $10–$25 CPM for an integration, $50–$100 CPM for a dedicated video. The calculator on this page turns that into a flat number.

How many subscribers do you need to get sponsored?

There is no subscriber threshold. Brands pay for views, not subs, so price from the average views of your last 10 to 15 videos, excluding outliers. Small gaming channels can start earning through CPI and affiliate deals before flat-fee sponsorships make sense.

Can small gaming channels get sponsorships?

Yes. Studios increasingly build campaigns on mid-size and smaller channels because the right audience converts better than raw reach. Many small channels start with CPI or affiliate deals, paid per install, and graduate to flat and CPM rates as their track record builds.

What commission should a gaming talent manager charge?

Most managers take 20-25%, sometimes more. Kaizen Talent charges 10%.

Do I need a manager to get gaming brand deals?

It depends. If you want to run multiple sponsorships a month while staying fully focused on content creation, find an agency or agent you trust to help you out.