What's a good engagement rate for Gaming influencers? (2026)
A healthy baseline engagement rate for Gaming creators on X is around 4.2%, against a typical audience of ~75,000 followers. But engagement compresses as accounts grow, so Kollab benchmarks it on a follower-size curve rather than a flat number.
Engagement expectations by follower tier
A larger account clearing its (lower) expected rate signals stronger real influence, so its engagement is weighted up accordingly.
Live Gaming data on Kollab
Based on 63 Gaming creators scored by Kollab from public X data. Updates as the corpus grows.
What Gaming creators cost (2026)
Typical sponsorship rates for Gaming creators by platform and format, compiled from public market data. Rates vary widely, use these as negotiation anchors, not fixed prices.
| Platform | Format | Tier / basis | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | 60s integration | CPM | 3–30 USD per 1K views |
| YouTube | Dedicated video | Mid-tier creators | 2000–15000 USD |
| YouTube | PC hardware review | Dedicated | 2000–30000 USD |
| Twitch | Sponsored stream | Small (50-500 CCV) | 100–800 USD per stream |
| Twitch | Sponsored stream | Mid-tier (500-5K CCV) | 500–5000 USD per stream |
| Twitch | Sponsored stream | Large (5K-20K CCV) | 3000–20000 USD per stream |
| Twitch | Sponsored stream | Major (20K+ CCV) | 15000–80000 USD per stream |
| Twitch | Any | Per concurrent viewer | 1–5 USD per CCV |
| Twitch | Hourly | By CCV | 50–3000 USD per hour |
| Twitch | 2-hour dedicated playthrough | Mid-tier | 1000–4000 USD |
| Twitch | 30-day overlay + chatbot | Any | 500–1500 USD per month |
| Twitch | Performance download push | Any | 500–2500 USD |
| Twitch | Stream overlay | Monthly | 500–5000 USD per month |
| Twitch | Retainer | Monthly | 3000–30000 USD per month |
| Twitch | Mid-tier follower band | 5K-200K followers | 500–5000 USD per stream |
| Twitch | Portfolio approach | 10-20 mid-tier streamers | 300–600 % ROI (esports avg) |
Rate modifiers that apply across verticals
- YouTube · 60s integration: 20–40 USD per 1K views , Reference band
- YouTube · 60s integration: 15–25 USD per 1K views , Reference floor
- YouTube · Sponsored Shorts: 5–15 USD per 1K views , Roughly half the long-form rate; Shorts convert lower
- YouTube · Dedicated video: 1.3–5 x base rate , MAJOR SOURCE CONFLICT: 1.3-1.5x vs 3-5x. Negotiate, do not assume
- YouTube · Short integration: 0.7–0.9 x base rate , Discount vs standard 60s
- YouTube · Shorts mention: 0.5 x base rate , Half of long-form
- YouTube · Paid usage rights: 0.25–1 +% of base fee , Right to cut into paid ads; depends on usage window
- YouTube · Category exclusivity: 0.25–0.5 +% of base fee , Typically 60 days post-publish
- YouTube · US/UK audience: 2–3 x base rate , vs developing-market audience, same niche
- YouTube · Any: 100–500 USD per video , Many deals are product-for-content at this tier
- YouTube · Any: 500–5000 USD per video , Commonly cited best ROI tier
- YouTube · Any: 5000–20000 USD per video , Reach up, engagement down
- YouTube · Shorts: 300–1800 USD per post , Platform-level band
- YouTube · Long-form: 1800 USD per integration , Median across 51 priced creators in one dataset
- LinkedIn · CPM by sector: 122 GBP CPM , Same dataset, baseline comparison
- TikTok · Sponsored post: 200–3000 USD per post , Platform-level band
- Instagram · Reel: 300–5000 USD per post , Platform-level band
- Multi-platform · Cross-platform bundle: -0.35–-0.25 % off per-platform booking , Bundles save 25-35% vs booking each channel separately
- All · Verified audience demographics: 0.3–0.4 +% of fee , Audited creators command a fee bump (HypeAuditor Pricing Index)
How Kollab measures real influence
Engagement rate alone can be gamed. The Kollab Score combines engagement (35%), authenticity (25%), growth (15%), reply quality (15%), and consistency (10%) into a 0–100 rating benchmarked by vertical. The authenticity component detects fake followers and inflated engagement, so a high score reflects genuine reach rather than bought numbers.