Twitch quietly increases mobile subscription prices

Twitch has announced that the price of Tier 1 subscriptions to its mobile apps will increase starting October 1. According to an email to subscribers, the price of a Tier 1 subscription for both the Twitch apps for iOS and Android will be $7.99 per month, an increase of $5.99 from last year.

The price increase affects more than 40 countries, including the United States. This price increase only applies to Tier 1 subscriptions purchased through the mobile apps; all other subscriptions will remain unaffected. Tier 2 and 3 subscriptions will remain available at the current price, as will subscriptions purchased through the desktop website.

This isn't the first time Twitch has seen subscription prices increase. Back in July, the price of Tier 1 subscriptions on the desktop site was increased from $4.99 to $5.99 per month. However, this new mobile increase means that subscribing via an app will once again be more expensive than via desktop.

Twitch, which has yet to turn a profit since being acquired by Amazon in 2014, said the mobile boost allows them to offset the fees Apple and Google charge for in-app purchases in their respective app stores. Their reasoning, however, did not sit well with some users on social media.

It remains to be seen whether these higher subscription prices – which are the same as those on desktop – are the final pieces of the puzzle that will bring Twitch into profitability. The service is still heavily dependent on gaming and the engagement of streamers and viewers.