Twitch reportedly killing adblockers & third-party tools with new integrity check on streams ('Broadcast Ended' error)

Twitch is one of the most popular live streaming platforms in the world, with over 30 million daily active users and over 9 million streamers.

Twitch offers a variety of content, from gaming and esports to music and art. Twitch also allows viewers to interact with streamers and other viewers through chat, donations and subscriptions.

In a recent move that has sparked frustration among Twitch users, the platform released an update a few hours ago, resulting in compatibility issues with Streamlink, a popular third-party plugin, and various ad-blocking software.

Twitch viewers have reported encountering a ‘Broadcast ended’ error message when attempting to watch streams while having these plugins or ad blockers enabled (1,2,3,4).

This happens even when the stream is online and running with no issues.

Well Twitch has always been active in finding ways to bypass adblockers and show ads to viewers, as ads are one of their main sources of revenue.

In 2020, Twitch introduced mid-roll ads that would play randomly during streams, regardless of the streamer’s consent. They have received a lot of backlash from both streamers and viewers, who complained that the ads were intrusive and disruptive.

The latest update from Twitch seems to have taken this anti-adblocking measure to a new level, by breaking Streamlink and some of the most popular adblockers for Twitch.

also the alternative html5 plugin for twitch no longer works, it shows all channels as having their “broadcast ended” even if not true.
Source

Cool, @Twitch is trying to kill 3ʳᵈ party apps yet again. At this point I’m seriously considering switching platforms, and unless streamlink finds a workaround I guess I’m no longer watching anything on Twitch myself
Source

Some viewers found that Twitch is using a new encryption method that prevents Streamlink and adblockers from accessing the stream data.

The update from Twitch comes after the recent price increase of Twitch Turbo, a subscription service that offers ad-free viewing, among other benefits.

This decision was met with criticism and anger from several users, who threatened to use adblockers or stop watching Twitch altogether.

Twitch relies heavily on ad revenue, and the increasing use of ad-blocking software threatens its business model.

By implementing measures to counter ad blockers, Twitch aims to ensure that advertisements reach a wider audience or they buy Twitch Turbo, thereby sustaining its revenue stream.

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