Feeding the Stream: Food and Beverage Cue Exposure and Influencer Marketing by Young Twitch Streamers

Abstract Playing and watching livestreams of video games is a growing hobby, especially among young people. Livestream platforms such as Twitch serve as marketing channels for various products, including foods high in fat, salt, and/or sugar (HFSS) and their associated brands. Influencers play a central role in this marketing strategy through product placement and/or branded merchandise, and influencer food marketing has been shown to increase food intake in young people. However, research on food marketing in gaming livestreams remains limited. This study aims to address this gap by conducting a content analysis of popular Twitch influencers' streams in Austria and Germany.A total of 100 Twitch stream segments (85h) from eight influencers popular with adolescents in Austria and Germany (uploaded July 2021-June 2022) were analysed. All presented food cues were coded for exposure (e.g., frequency, location) and marketing power (promotional techniques, e.g., cue presentation), according to the WHO protocol. Nutritional quality was assessed using WHO Euro Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) to determine whether food cues were permitted for marketing to children/adolescents.Of the 175 identified food cues, 72.8% were not permitted for marketing to children. The most common food categories were energy drinks (34.7%) and convenience foods (23.1%). Cues appeared in both the streamer section (53.1%) and within the video game (46.9%). Product placement was the most prevalent advert type (80.3%), significantly associated with not permitted foods (p < 0.001). Not permitted foods were significantly more likely to feature sensory appeal (11.1% vs. 0%; p = 0.017) and brand logos (71.4% vs. 46.8%; p = 0.003). Only 8.1% of cues had an advert disclosure, with not permitted foods more likely to have a disclosure than permitted ones (11.1% vs. 0%; p = 0.017). Not permitted foods had a 16.4 times greater chance of being branded (p < 0.001), were 6.5 times more likely to be verbally referenced (p < 0.001), and had a 2.9 times greater chance of including interaction prompts (p = 0.031), adjusted for the number of followers.These findings reveal the subtle but powerful nature of HFSS food marketing on Twitch. Stronger regulatory frameworks and systematic monitoring are needed to protect young people from harmful dietary influences in digital media environments.