Subathon Revenue Calculator: Estimate Earnings
Interactive tool to estimate how much you can earn in your subathon based on your current stats. Includes optimal time and ROI calculator.
How Much Can You Really Earn with a Subathon?
The question every streamer asks before launching a subathon: "How much am I going to earn?"
The answer depends on multiple factors: your current audience, platform, timer configuration, and event duration. In this article, we'll teach you how to calculate your potential revenue based on real data.
📊 Reference Data
We analyzed 500+ subathons from small, medium, and large streamers to create accurate estimation formulas. The data here is conservative (better to be positively surprised).
Basic Revenue Formula
Total Revenue = (Subs × Sub Price × Revenue Share) + (Bits / 100) + Donations
Key Variables
- Subs: Number of subscriptions during the subathon
- Sub Price: $4.99 (Tier 1), $9.99 (Tier 2), $24.99 (Tier 3)
- Revenue Share: 50% (Twitch), 95% (Kick), 70% (YouTube)
- Bits: 100 bits = $1 USD (Twitch)
- Donations: PayPal, Ko-fi, etc. (usually ~15% of total)
Estimation by Audience Size
Small Streamer (10-50 average viewers)
48-hour Subathon (mini-subathon)
Config: 3 min/sub, 30 sec/follower, 1 sec/bit
• Estimated Subs: 40-80 subs
• Bits: 2,000-5,000 bits ($20-50)
• Direct Donations: $30-100
Estimated Total (Twitch): $150-300 USD
Estimated Total (Kick): $270-500 USD
Medium Streamer (100-300 average viewers)
5-7 day Subathon
Config: 4 min/sub, 45 sec/follower, 1 sec/bit
• Estimated Subs: 300-600 subs
• Bits: 15,000-30,000 bits ($150-300)
• Direct Donations: $400-800
Estimated Total (Twitch): $1,200-2,500 USD
Estimated Total (Kick): $2,100-4,200 USD
Large Streamer (500+ average viewers)
10-14 day Subathon
Config: 5 min/sub, 60 sec/follower, 1 sec/bit
• Estimated Subs: 1,000-2,500 subs
• Bits: 50,000-150,000 bits ($500-1,500)
• Direct Donations: $2,000-5,000
Estimated Total (Twitch): $5,000-12,000 USD
Estimated Total (Kick): $9,000-20,000 USD
💰 Kick vs Twitch: The 95% Difference
You'll notice Kick estimations are nearly double Twitch's. This is due to Kick's 95/5 split vs Twitch's 50/50. If you stream on both platforms, TriBathon can consolidate both timers into one.
Factors that Increase Your Revenue
1. Subathon Timing
Subathons held on Friday-Sunday generate 2-3x more revenue than Monday-Thursday. The audience has more free time and a greater willingness to support.
2. Early Promotion
Streamers who announce their subathon 2+ weeks in advance on Twitter, Discord, and TikTok generate 40-60% more revenue than those who announce with only 3 days' notice.
3. Happy Hour
Setting time multipliers (2x, 3x) at specific times can increase your revenue by 15-25%. The urgency created by Happy Hour motivates more subs.
⚠️ Happy Hour Setup in TriBathon
Tip: Set a 3x Happy Hour during the first 6 hours of the subathon to create explosive initial momentum. Then reduce to 2x during off-peak hours (3-8 AM) to keep the timer alive while you sleep.
4. Special Content
Subathons with "milestones" (special challenges every X subs) generate 30-50% more revenue:
- 🎮 Every 50 subs → Play a game chosen by chat
- 🍕 Every 100 subs → Order random food
- 💇 Every 200 subs → Change your look (dye, cut, etc.)
- 🎁 Every 500 subs → Hardware giveaway (GPU, keyboard, etc.)
Optimal Duration Calculation
Using the right formula to estimate how long your subathon will last is key to planning:
Duration (hours) = (Initial time + Σ(Events × Time per event)) / 60
Where Σ(Events × Time) = (Subs × Min/Sub) + (Bits/100 × Sec/Bit) + (Followers × Sec/Follower)
Practical Example
Config: 30 initial mins, 4 min/sub, 1 sec/bit, 45 sec/follower
Estimated Events: 200 subs, 10,000 bits, 500 followers
Initial time: 30 min = 30 min
Subs: 200 × 4 min = 800 min
Bits: (10,000/100) × 1 sec = 100 sec ≈ 1.67 min
Followers: 500 × 45 sec = 22,500 sec ≈ 375 min
Total: 1,206.67 min ≈ 20 hours
ROI (Return on Investment)
Beyond direct revenue, subathons have long-term benefits:
Community Growth
- 📈 +200-500% followers on average during the event
- 👥 +50-150% average viewers in the 30 days following
- 💬 +300% engagement on Discord (more active members)
Sub Retention
🔄 Renewal Rate
60-75% of subs gained during a subathon renew the following month (vs 40-50% for normal subs). The event creates a stronger emotional connection.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Streamers who conduct successful subathons (500+ subs) often receive sponsorship offers within the next 3-6 months. The visibility boost opens doors.
Common Mistakes That Reduce Revenue
1. Overly Generous Timer
❌ Common Mistake
Setting 10+ minutes per sub thinking "this way I'll last longer." Result: the subathon lasts 3 weeks, you get exhausted, and viewers leave. The community gets tired. Optimal: 3-5 min/sub.
2. No Automatic Recovery
If your internet goes down and you lose the timer, you lose momentum and community trust. Use TriBathon, which has automatic recovery every 30 seconds.
3. Failing to Promote the Event
Streamers who only announce the subathon 1-2 days ahead lose 50-70% of potential revenue. Promote 2+ weeks in advance.
4. Not Preparing Varied Content
If you only play one game for 72 hours, viewers get bored. Alternate between gaming, IRL, Just Chatting, watch parties, etc.
Tools to Maximize Revenue
1. TriBathon Premium ($5.99/mo)
Includes:
- ✅ Real-time analytics (see how much you've earned second-by-second)
- ✅ Automatic Happy Hour (multiply times at specific hours)
- ✅ Multi-platform (Twitch + Kick simultaneously = more revenue)
- ✅ Automatic recovery (never lose progress)
2. Discord Bot for Milestones
Set up a bot that automatically announces milestones in your Discord when you hit X subs. This creates FOMO and motivates more support.
3. StreamElements / Streamlabs Alerts
Flashy visual alerts for each sub/donation maintain engagement and motivate more contributions ("bandwagon" effect).
Conclusion: Is It Worth It?
To answer directly: YES, subathons are worth it if:
- ✅ You have at least 20-30 average viewers (minimum viable)
- ✅ You are willing to stream 24-72 consecutive hours
- ✅ You have stable internet or use TriBathon with automatic recovery
- ✅ You promote the event in advance
Average Subathon ROI
According to our data, the average streamer earns 3-5x their normal monthly income during a 7-day subathon. Additionally, community growth generates +40-60% in monthly revenue in the 3 months following.
Ready to calculate your potential earnings? Start your subathon with TriBathon →