Ask ten brands what a gaming creator costs and you get ten numbers, all of them wrong in a different direction. Ask ten creators and the spread is even wider. Most public rate cards are built for lifestyle and beauty, where a follower on Instagram means something completely different from a viewer on Twitch.
This is the rate card we use internally, built from 800+ negotiated activations across gaming, esports, skin trading, crypto and fintech. Ranges reflect what creators actually accepted, not their opening ask.
These are approximate ranges. In this sector price depends heavily on volume, exclusivity, market and vertical — the same creator can cost 3x more for a one-off gambling deal than for a multi-month game-launch program. Use these as a starting point to sanity-check a quote, not as a fixed price list.
How to read it: all figures are per activation, in USD, before agency fees. Ranges cover the middle 80% of deals. Outliers exist in both directions.
Quick reference: average cost per activation by tier
| Tier | Audience size | YouTube video | Twitch dedicated stream | Kick dedicated stream | TikTok video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nano | under 10K | $150–400 | $75–250 | $50–200 | $100–300 |
| Micro | 10K to 50K | $400–1,500 | $250–900 | $200–700 | $300–1,200 |
| Mid | 50K to 250K | $1,500–6,000 | $900–3,500 | $700–2,800 | $1,200–4,500 |
| Macro | 250K to 1M | $6,000–20,000 | $3,500–12,000 | $2,800–9,000 | $4,500–15,000 |
| Mega | 1M+ | $20,000–75,000 | $12,000–40,000 | $9,000–30,000 | $15,000–50,000 |
Audience size is measured on the platform where the activation runs. For live platforms we tier by average concurrent viewers (CCV) rather than followers: nano under 100 CCV, micro 100 to 500, mid 500 to 2,500, macro 2,500 to 10,000, mega 10,000+.
Rates by format
Format changes price more than platform does. A 60 second integration inside a creator’s regular video costs a fraction of a dedicated video, and often converts better because it inherits the creator’s normal audience.
YouTube
| Format | Nano | Micro | Mid | Macro | Mega |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated video (8 to 15 min) | $150–400 | $400–1,500 | $1,500–6,000 | $6,000–20,000 | $20,000–75,000 |
| Integration (60 to 90 s) | $80–220 | $220–850 | $850–3,300 | $3,300–11,000 | $11,000–40,000 |
| Pre-roll mention (15 to 30 s) | $45–120 | $120–450 | $450–1,800 | $1,800–6,000 | $6,000–22,000 |
| Short (under 60 s) | $60–160 | $160–600 | $600–2,400 | $2,400–8,000 | $8,000–30,000 |
| Pinned comment + description link | $20–50 | $50–180 | $180–720 | $720–2,400 | $2,400–9,000 |
Twitch
| Format | Nano | Micro | Mid | Macro | Mega |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated sponsored stream (2 to 4 h) | $75–250 | $250–900 | $900–3,500 | $3,500–12,000 | $12,000–40,000 |
| Sponsored segment (30 to 60 min) | $40–125 | $125–450 | $450–1,750 | $1,750–6,000 | $6,000–20,000 |
| Overlay + panel + chat command (monthly) | $55–175 | $175–630 | $630–2,450 | $2,450–8,400 | $8,400–28,000 |
| Verbal mention per stream | $10–40 | $40–135 | $135–525 | $525–1,800 | $1,800–6,000 |
Kick
| Format | Nano | Micro | Mid | Macro | Mega |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated sponsored stream | $50–200 | $200–700 | $700–2,800 | $2,800–9,000 | $9,000–30,000 |
| Sponsored segment | $25–100 | $100–350 | $350–1,400 | $1,400–4,500 | $4,500–15,000 |
| Overlay + panel (monthly) | $35–140 | $140–490 | $490–1,960 | $1,960–6,300 | $6,300–21,000 |
Kick rates run ~20 to 40% above Twitch for equivalent CCV in gambling-adjacent verticals because supply is limited and demand is concentrated. For gaming and crypto they are roughly at parity.
TikTok
| Format | Nano | Micro | Mid | Macro | Mega |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated video | $100–300 | $300–1,200 | $1,200–4,500 | $4,500–15,000 | $15,000–50,000 |
| Series (3 videos) | $240–720 | $720–2,880 | $2,880–10,800 | $10,800–36,000 | $36,000–120,000 |
| Spark Ads usage rights (30 days) | $40–120 | $120–480 | $480–1,800 | $1,800–6,000 | $6,000–20,000 |
X / Twitter and Instagram
| Format | Micro | Mid | Macro | Mega |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsored post (X) | $150–600 | $600–2,500 | $2,500–9,000 | $9,000–30,000 |
| Thread (X) | $300–1,000 | $1,000–4,000 | $4,000–14,000 | $14,000–45,000 |
| Reel (Instagram) | $250–900 | $900–3,800 | $3,800–13,000 | $13,000–45,000 |
| Story set, 3 frames (Instagram) | $120–450 | $450–1,800 | $1,800–6,500 | $6,500–22,000 |
Rates by market
The same tier costs very different money depending on where the audience is.
| Market | Index (EN = 100) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EN (US, UK, CA, AU) | 100 | Baseline |
| Western Europe (DE, FR, ES, IT) | 70 | Slightly below EN, strong engagement |
| RU / CIS | 30 | Structurally underpriced, VK-led |
| LATAM (BR, MX, AR) | 35 | Cheapest reach, very high engagement |
| MENA | 50 | Rising fast, Arabic-native talent scarce |
| SEA | 40 | Mobile-first, enormous volume |
What moves the price up or down
Up
- Exclusivity (no competitor deals for 30 to 90 days): typically +20% to +50%.
- Usage rights for paid amplification: +25% for 30 days, more for perpetual.
- Vertical risk. Gambling and crypto sponsorships carry demonetization or reputational risk for the creator and are priced accordingly, often 2x the rate for a game launch.
- Short turnaround (under 72 hours).
- Agency or management representation, which adds a layer and a margin.
Down
- Volume. A 3 to 6 month commitment lowers per-activation cost by ~25% on average.
- Performance component. Fixed fee plus CPA bonus reduces the upfront rate and aligns incentives. Most mid-tier creators accept it. Most mega creators do not.
- Product fit. Creators price lower for products they already use.
- Direct outreach. Cutting out intermediary networks removes 15% to 30% of the fee.
Fixed fee, CPA, or hybrid?
| Model | When it works | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee | Awareness, launches, tournament windows | Paying for views that do not convert |
| Pure CPA | Mature funnel, proven conversion, creators who trust the product | Few creators accept it, and those who do may be low quality |
| Hybrid (fee + CPA bonus) | Almost every performance campaign | Requires clean attribution from day one |
We run hybrid deals by default with a unique UTM link and CPA tracking per creator. It is the only way to know which creators to keep after the first cycle. More on that in how to measure ROI in esports and gaming campaigns.
Budget calculator
Estimate what a creator program costs before you start outreach. Figures use the midpoints of the ranges above and are indicative only.
How to use this rate card
- Set a per-tier ceiling before you open a conversation. If the ask is above the range, you need a reason.
- Convert every quote into CPM using the creator’s real average views, not follower count. Our benchmark report has the platform medians to compare against.
- Start with 10 mid-tier creators on a hybrid deal. Cut the bottom half after the first cycle and reinvest in the top.
- Negotiate volume, not single activations.
For a complete framework on vetting and selecting creators, read how to choose the right gaming creators.
Embed this table
You can cite any range with a link to this page:
Source: Ignition Labs, Gaming Influencer Rate Card 2026, https://theignitionlabs.com/blog/gaming-influencer-rate-card-2026
FAQ
Are these rates what creators ask for or what they accept? What they accepted. Opening asks were on average ~35% higher.
Do rates include agency fees? No. Figures are creator fees only.
Why are live platforms tiered by CCV instead of followers? Because followers on Twitch and Kick do not predict reach. A channel with 200K followers and 300 CCV is a micro creator for pricing purposes.
How often is this updated? Annually, with a mid-year revision if a platform changes materially. See the changelog.
Last updated: September 2026. Changelog: v1.0 initial publication.
Planning a creator program? We go from brief to live in 48 hours, with attribution on every creator. See how it works or book a strategy call.
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