Do ads constantly disrupt your favorite Twitch streams? You‘re not alone. Sarah was excited to tune into a highly anticipated esports tournament, only to be bombarded with video ads over and over.
"I just want to enjoy the gameplay! The ads totally ruin the viewing experience," she vents.
Twitch has become the #1 live streaming platform – especially for gaming content. Viewership has skyrocketed over 300% since 2020 to over 30 million daily active users. But this popular site relies heavily on advertising revenue.
Ads on Twitch fall into two frustrating categories:
- Video ads – Pre-roll ads play before streams start. Mid-roll ads interrupt streams unexpectedly.
- Display ads – Banners, popups and recommendations clutter the screen.
These ads distract viewers and degrade stream performance. But you can enjoy ad-free Twitch streaming with these expert-recommended solutions.
Why Blocking Twitch Ads Matters
Before covering how to remove ads, let‘s examine why they cause issues in the first place:
They severely impact streaming quality
The average Twitch user faces over 100 ads per week. Studies show video ads consume over 2X more bandwidth than the actual stream!
All those ads hogging network resources leads to:
- Choppy, buffering video
- Delays and lag, causing you to miss key moments
- Pixelated, lower quality streams
They interrupt streams at the worst times
Over 60% of viewers complain mid-roll ads break their viewing experience:
"Just as my favorite team was about to score! Twitch cut to a boring ad and I missed the whole play."
Untimely ad injections ruin the suspense of tense esports events, fails and highlights.
They bombard you with repetition
Even brief 30 second ads become unbearable after repeated exposure:
"If I see one more ‘Rise of Kingdoms’ mobile game ad I‘ll scream. They play the same ones over and over."
Frequency capping limits would improve relevance. But Twitch currently shows no restraint with repetition.
Let‘s explore your options to take back control and banish bothersome ads for good!
Method #1: Install an Ad Blocking Browser Extension
The most straightforward way to remove Twitch ads is by installing an ad blocking extension for Chrome, Firefox or your preferred internet browser…
Step-By-Step Guide to Setting Up uBlock Origin
uBlock Origin is the gold standard for ad blocking. With over 20 million active users, this open-source extension blocks ads using crowdsourced filter lists without hogging system resources. Here‘s how to set it up:
- Install the uBlock Origin extension from the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons Site. Click "Add to Chrome" or "Add to Firefox"
- Once installed, you‘ll see the uBlock Origin icon on your browser‘s toolbar. Click it to open the control panel.
- Make sure the big blue power button is enabled. This activates uBlock to start blocking ads across the sites you visit.
That‘s all you need to do! By default, uBlock Origin will automatically block banner, pop up and video ads on Twitch. Let‘s compare the pros and cons of using an ad blocker browser extension…
Benefits of uBlock Origin
- Blocks all Twitch ads including banner ads and video ads
- Totally free and open source
- Uses minimal device memory and bandwidth
- Customizable; fine-tune site filters if needed
Potential Drawbacks
- Needs to be installed separately on each browser
- Rarely, ads may briefly show before being blocked
Extensions like uBlock provide reliable ad blocking while being respectful of system resources. Let‘s compare it to another popular option…
Method #2: Leverage a VPN With Ad Blocking
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) route your traffic through remote servers, masking your IP address and location. Many premium VPNs now include ad blocking capabilities.
We‘ll cover the steps for setting up NordVPN, a highly rated VPN service with an integrated ad blocker called CyberSec.
How to Enable NordVPN‘s Ad Blocker
Follow this straightforward process:
- Download and install the NordVPN app on your computer or mobile device
- Log into the app using your NordVPN account credentials
- Click Settings in the sidebar menu and toggle CyberSec to the "On" position
That‘s it! CyberSec will now block ads across all sites and devices connected to NordVPN‘s servers.
Unique Benefits of Using NordVPN
Unlike typical ad blockers, VPN ad blocking works at the network level to prevent ads being delivered in the first place. Benefits include:
- Blocks ads on any app, not just the browser
- Works across all mobile and streaming devices
- Encrypts traffic keeping browsing history private
- Masks location to access region-restricted streams
Their international server network gives you blazing speeds for smooth HD streaming with NordVPN.
Potential VPN Drawbacks
Things to consider when using a VPN service:
- Requires paid subscription starting around $3/month
- Can slightly increase internet latency
- App must stay running active in background
- Requires account setup across all devices used
For privacy-minded streamers, NordVPN provides well-rounded protection. Now let‘s examine specialized third party apps…
Method #3: Leverage Specialized Streaming Apps
Dedicated streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch have official mobile apps. But third-party apps often support helpful niche features the mainstream ones lack – like ad blocking!
We‘ll cover one popular example called Impulse TV for iOS and Android devices:
Impulse TV – Perks & Ad Blocking Capabilities
Impulse TV positions itself as an highly customizable mobile client for watching Twitch. Benefits include:
- Blocks most inline Twitch ads from loading
- Offline chat and host/raid notifications
- Support for Picture-in-Picture mode
- Themes and colored chat options
Their $3.99 pro version removes occasional inline ads the free edition misses. Overall Impulse makes mobile Twitch streaming more seamless.
Common Third-Party App Drawbacks
However, specialized streaming apps have downsides to consider as well:
- Paid subscriptions for full ad blocking
- Divert stream revenue from content creators
- Can lack mainstream platform feature parity
- Require separate login and account management
But apps like Impulse demonstrate out-of-the-box thinking to meet niche user needs like ad removal and customization.
Method #4: Subscribe to Support Your Favorite Streamers
Directly funding Twitch streamers via channel subscriptions allows them to keep creating great content full-time. And many subscriptions include rewards like ad-free viewing (when enabled by stream creator).
Here‘s how subscribing can lead to less disruptions:
- Browse to your favorite Twitch channel and click the big purple Subscribe button
- Select your preferred subscription tier, starting around $5/month
- Review benefits like sub-only chat & streams, emotes and potential ad removal
Before subscribing, dig into the channel‘s benefits page and confirm ad blocking is included. Also consider site-wide options like Twitch Turbo…
Method #5: Upgrade to Twitch Turbo Site-Wide Ad Removal
For $8.99/month, Twitch‘s premium Turbo subscription provides an entirely ad-free viewing experience across the whole platform. Benefits include:
- No pre-roll, mid-roll or display ads whatsoever
- More video storage for creators to maintain archives
- Custom username colors in chat
- Exclusive Turbo chat badge and emotes
Upgrading to Turbo makes sense if you watch a wide variety of streamers. This single $9 subscription universally blocks ads system-wide vs. paying multiple $5 channel subscriptions.
More Tips for Blocking Twitch Advertisements
Beyond the core methods above, here are bonus tips to stop ads based on my experience as an online privacy advocate:
Use Multiple Blocking Layers
Combine site-wide blocking via Turbo or VPNs with local desktop extensions like uBlock Origin for defense-in-depth against pesky ads. The multi-tier approach catches ads other methods miss.
Optimize Ad Blocker Settings
Dig into options for tools like uBlock Origin to whitelist sites you wish to support or enable additional filter lists. Proper configuration tailors the blocking to your preferences.
Leverage Script & Host File Blocking
Advanced users can block ads via domain name filtering inside host files, as well as scripts injected into the browser. But this requires moderate technical know-how.
Review the pros and cons outlined to decide the best ad removal options matching needs around privacy, convenience and budget.
Happy Streaming! Relish an Ad-Free Twitch Experience
Ultimately ads represent an economic necessity allowing Twitch to offer free content. But excessive, intrusive advertising ruins the streaming encounter for devoted viewers.
Now empowered with multiple professional solutions above like uBlock and NordVPN, loyal fans can bypass bothersome video ads, popups and distractions. Finally, nothing comes between you and the exhilarating worlds of your favorite streamers!
No more choppy video buffering or missing epic moments when ads strike at the worst times. Just pure, smooth, uninterrupted esports drama made possible by these handy ad blocking techniques.
So fire up that stream, lean back and relish an ad break free viewing session. The gameplay awaits!
