Elon Musk claims Twitter will start sharing ad revenue with Blue subscribers

Twitter Blue subscribers will receive a cut of revenue from ads that appear in their reply threads, CEO Elon Musk said. The new program starts today, Musk noted, but he hasn't yet provided additional details about how it works. The Twitter Blue support page doesn't include any information either. Twitter no longer has a comms department that can be reached for comment.

Blue subscribers in some territories already see half as many ads on their timeline as other users. Offering a cut of ad revenue could help Twitter keep users on board, especially if it offers them a reasonable split that could earn them some decent scratch for a viral tweet. Many other platforms already offer creators a share of ad revenue, including YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram and Facebook.

Twitter Blue subscribers currently pay $8 ($11 if they sign up on iOS) per month, or $84 per year for the service. In return, they receive several perks, including a blue check, the option to edit tweets and bookmark folders. They also get longer video uploads (which some people have used to post movies) and prominent placement in reply threads when they respond to someone.

The company is trying to improve its bottom line to, among other things, ensure it can meet interest payments of over $1 billion per year on the loans Musk took out to buy the company. Finding more ways to maximize engagement (and in turn revenue) is key. So incentivizing users, especially those with large audiences, to subscribe to Blue and tweet more often by offering them a revenue share is a logical step. Twitter is also said to be working on another tipping feature using an in-app currency.

Meanwhile, Twitter is reportedly charging businesses $1,000 per month to have a gold checkmark. Verification for affiliated accounts seemingly costs $50 per month.