A report on influencers emphasizes the disparity in earnings between genders for sponsored content

An analysis of influencer partnerships has highlighted a significant income disparity between male and female content creators across various video platforms, revealing that women typically earn approximately 32% less than their male counterparts.

The findings are provided by Collabstr, which evaluated sponsored content from a sample of 2,414 gaming-focused influencers.

Kyle Dulay, co-founder of Collabstr, explained to GamesIndustry.biz, "In the gaming sector, a distinct difference in earnings exists between male and female influencers. Men generally receive around $234 per collaborative effort, whereas women tend to earn about $160, indicating a 32% wage gap."

Responding to inquiries about the report's scope regarding gender identity, Dulay mentioned that "Less than 1% of our participants identify as 'Other' in terms of gender, making data extraction from this category minimal."

The survey points out that the disparity narrows slightly on Twitch, yet remains notable.

Dulay stated, "Focusing solely on Twitch, the disparity is reduced somewhat. However, female Twitch streamers still earn roughly 27% less than males per sponsored engagement."

"Although platforms like Twitch are seeing gradual improvements in equality, the industry as a whole still needs to work towards eliminating the pay gap for creators," Dulay emphasized.

Addressing overall industry trends and comparisons within the gaming sector, Dulay remarked on the differences in content presentation.

"Female influencers often blend lifestyle content—such as fashion, cosplay, beauty, and vlogs—into their portfolios. In contrast, male gamers typically stay within the gaming niche and seldom incorporate other content forms, often refraining from appearing on camera."

"Outside of using different platforms such as Twitch or TikTok, the structure of collaborations doesn’t differ much from those in other industries," Dulay noted.

Examining potential reasons behind the gender wage discrepancy among creators, several factors were identified.

Dulay highlighted that the gender pay gap is narrower on gaming platforms like YouTube or Twitch than on sites such as TikTok or Instagram, reasoning that given the popularity of these gaming platforms, male creators might secure more partnership opportunities.

"Men's content often remains narrowly focused on gaming, which can enable them to command a premium, while women frequently branch into various lifestyle areas," Dulay said.

"Additionally, there is a broader issue with women possibly undervaluing their services relative to their male counterparts."