What is launch padding for streamers?

What is launch padding and how are streamers doing it?

Launch padding is basically using specific games with high 3rd party embedding traffic to gain higher directory placement in new or more popular games.

What are some games that are good for launch padding?

As of 8/30/2018 the day of this post, the following games in my opinion have the best launch padding potential.

• Terraria
• Ark
• Minecraft

Some of the ways I have seen streamers exploit launch padding is by streaming game #2 and then when they finish broadcasting for the day, they then do reruns streams of game #1 (usually one of the games listed). Because viewership levels tend to drop during certain time zones and the amount of streamers also goes down, they are able to grab the top slot in game #1 directory and once that occurs the traffic from the embedding 3rd party boosts them. This is not always perfect but in general its works pretty well for some.

Or they stream game #1 until they grab the embedding traffic spike, then switch to game #2. A good example would be some people streaming Terraria, grabbing the embedding traffic and then switching to other games that have 'Twitch Drop' enabled like Warframe which further boosts numbers depending on directory placement.

If you have a big enough community, you can leverage this to possibly help with getting more exposure on the platform. But always keep in mind, 3rd party traffic is not something you control, it can end at any given moment.

Viewers in common analytics

Which Channels Share Viewers With Yours on Twitch?

Ever wondered exactly who else your audience loves watching when they are not tuned into your stream? One simple glance inside your Creator Dashboard can hand you that answer on a silver platter. The Channels with Viewers in Common panel quietly ranks the top streamers whose audiences overlap most with yours. It has quietly become one of the most practical tools Twitch gives creators, and it is still right there in 2026, delivering fresh insights every time you check it.

You will find it by heading to your Creator Dashboard, clicking Analytics on the left sidebar, and then selecting the Channel section. The panel usually shows your top five overlaps, ranked by shared audience size. Twitch blurs the names in any public screenshots for privacy, but when you are logged in the real channels appear. It is simple, powerful, and surprisingly revealing once you start using it regularly.

How to Find It Yourself

Log in, go straight to Analytics, choose Channel, and scroll down. That is it. The data refreshes based on recent viewer activity, so checking it after bigger streams gives you the clearest picture. It is quick, and the insights start paying off the moment you begin acting on them.

Turning Overlap Into Real Collaboration Opportunities

Treat this list like your personal networking map. When your viewers already enjoy another streamer, you have a built in foundation for something great. Send a friendly message to those channels. Mention a specific stream you liked or a shared game you both play. Suggest a co stream, a raid swap, or even a simple joint game night. Many creators have turned these overlaps into regular collabs that boost everyone involved.

You can also add overlapping channels to your auto host list so your community keeps discovering similar content even when you are offline. In a crowded platform, these smart connections often create faster and more natural growth than chasing random shoutouts ever could.

Reading the Room and Spotting Trouble Early

There is another side to this data that many experienced streamers rely on quietly. If your chat suddenly fills with oddly coordinated comments or unexplained negativity, check the overlap list. It can point you straight to the source. In my own case, it clearly showed a competitive mindset streamer who was directing their audience toward my channel with negativity. Knowing that helped me respond calmly instead of wondering why certain chatter felt off.

This awareness lets you protect your community vibe. You can reinforce your own positive rules or simply focus on the fans who are there for the right reasons.

Unlocking Deeper Audience Insights

Beyond collabs and drama detection, the panel offers a window into your viewers tastes that you might not have considered. Take a look at the categories those overlapping channels stream. Are they heavy into the same games as you, or do they branch into something fresh? This can inspire new content ideas. Maybe your audience loves variety streams on certain days or enjoys watching a different genre entirely when they are not with you. Use that to plan themed nights or test new games your people are already watching elsewhere.

Smarter Raid and Promotion Strategies

Use the data to choose raid targets with confidence. Raiding a channel with high overlap means your viewers are more likely to stick around and enjoy the new stream. It creates smoother transitions and higher retention. On the flip side, you can see which bigger channels share your audience and start building relationships that might lead to them raiding you back. Small consistent raids to the right people can compound into real growth over time.

Building a Stronger Network and Community Events

Think bigger than one off collabs. Group several overlapping channels together for community events like watch parties, charity streams, or multiplayer tournaments. Reach out to a few at once and propose something fun that benefits everyone. You can also join or create Discord groups with these streamers to share tips and cross promote. Streamers who treat this data as a relationship builder end up with stronger support systems and more loyal combined audiences.

Refining Your Schedule and Content Calendar

Pay attention to when those overlapping audiences are most active. If you notice your viewers are watching certain channels at specific times, you can adjust your own schedule to avoid conflicts or fill gaps. Maybe stream right after a popular overlapping channel ends to catch the flow of viewers looking for more. Or test different days and see how the overlap list shifts. This kind of data driven scheduling often leads to steadier viewer numbers week after week.

Monitoring Trends and Staying Ahead

Watch how the list changes over months. If new channels start appearing because your audience is branching into fresh games or trends, you can jump on those early. It is like having a quiet heads up on what your community is interested in next. You can experiment with those titles or styles before they become mainstream in your niche and keep your content feeling current and exciting.

Practical Steps to Get Started Right Away

Make checking this panel a weekly habit after your bigger streams. Here are a few easy ways to turn the data into action:

• Watch a couple streams from your top overlaps first so any outreach feels genuine and personal.
• Start small with a raid or quick shoutout before suggesting full collabs.
• Keep messages warm and specific. Mention something you actually enjoy about their content.
• Track how your overlaps change after you try new things so you can see what is working.

At the end of the day, this one panel is not just about numbers. It is about understanding the people who choose to spend their time with you and finding smart ways to grow alongside them. Next time you open the dashboard, take that extra minute to review the list. You might discover your next great collaboration, spot a trend early, or finally understand exactly where certain chat energy is coming from. Either way, it is information you can put to good use immediately.

Huge amount of follower bots are copying your stream channel name

Huge numbers of fake follower accounts have been created using channel names.

So overnight some entity has created thousands of Twitch accounts using streamers channel's name. Here is a screenshot of what it looks for one of my channels on Twitch.

The format for the accounts appears to follow a pattern, its basically a streamers channel plus a random combination of one to three digits or letters. Some are also using pictures, avatars from established streamers in the profile.


Please be aware its not the channel owners doing it, if you get messages, alerts, /raids or whatever from channels that are following this format dont take it against the streamer.

Who exactly knows what the entity is planning on doing with all the fake accounts. Hopefully Twitch will investigate and remove these accounts from the system.

How to check if your channel was effected is by using the search function on the Twitch website.

Put in your stream name in the search bar and then click more on the channel section. Here is a screenshot to help you see where to click on to show more.

Again, be careful when clicking on things inside chat rooms, this entity maybe will try to post links with similar channel name to get viewers to click on them. It maybe a smart move to banned all accounts you find during search to prevent something like that from happening inside your chats.

Update - 8/19/2018

Checked to see if any of the new accounts have been removed for 'gamingwithdaopa' search and I still see a total of 30 or so fake accounts.  We are speculating the entity that is doing this account generation is trying to obtain 'free subs' from Twitch's new gifting option. I believe if they get a free sub, it may whitelist them inside that channel which will then allow them to post fishing links or other problematic links inside chat rooms.

It maybe time to prevent all URLs from being displayed in your chat unless its been reviewed by a moderator or channel owner. When reviewing links, pay attention to misspellings for domain names, and get a handle on URL shortener that will cloak links.

600,000+ Tune in for the start of Battle for Azeroth

At 6 PM Est time, the start of "World of Warcraft's - Battle for Azeroth" newest expansion launched and here are some screenshots of the numbers and top streamers on twitch!


Let start with overall viewers, it topped around 610,000 here is a screenshot from the Twitch directory.

Click to enlarge picture.

With any large AAA Title, tons of streamers who usually do not play or stream world of warcraft all jumped in for the expansion launch. Here is a look at the top most streamers:

Click to enlarge screenshot

Top  streamers for launch include the following:

• sodapoppin - 84,750 viewers
• Asmongold - 60,350 viewers
• LIRIK - 31,170 viewers
• ZeratoR - 29,728 viewers
• TimTheTatman - 26,652 viewers
• Reckful - 23,506 viewers
• shroud - 21,415 viewers
• AtheneLIVE - 16,513 viewers
• Towelliee - 14,535 viewers
• ungespielt - 7,612 vierwers

It is always amazing to see the viewership numbers for game launches like this Twitch. You can also view how much of a viewership hit some of these non wow streamers take by switching over to it for the launch window. As of 7:30 PM, overall viewership numbers have gone down to around 495,991 Viewers. I guess the core viewers are now busy playing the game and stopped watching streams.