The Sponsored Stream Underdelivered: Make-Goods, Partial Credits, and the Contract Line That Settles It

Live streams break. The internet drops, the game crashes, a raid eats the segment where the read was supposed to go, or the stream ends early because you're sick. When that happens on a sponsored stream, the brand didn't get all of what it paid for, and you have to decide what to do about it.

Most of the time this ends well. A brand that hears about a problem from you, the same day, with a fix already offered, usually just takes the fix. The trouble starts when the brand finds out on its own, or when nobody agreed ahead of time what "delivered" meant.

This post covers both halves: what to do after a sponsored stream comes up short, and the contract line that keeps the question small.

What counts as underdelivery

Underdelivery means a deliverable you agreed to didn't run the way the contract describes it. On a live sponsorship it usually looks like one of these:

• The stream ran short. The deal was for three sponsored hours and two went out.
• The read was missed or cut off. The segment was scheduled, but it never aired, or it aired without the talking points the brief required.
• The overlay or link was wrong. The banner was down for part of the window, or chat had the wrong promo link.
• A technical failure. The stream dropped, the audio failed during the read, or the VOD didn't save.
• Viewers came in under the quote. Your average concurrent viewers on the night were lower than the number you quoted from.

The last one is different from the others, and it matters which kind you're dealing with.

The first four are delivery problems. You promised a specific thing (hours on air, a read, an overlay) and it didn't happen. That's yours to fix.

Low viewers usually isn't. Your quote was priced on your trailing average concurrent viewers, and any single night can land above or below that. The proof of delivery post covers this: the quote uses the 30-day average, and the proof uses the night that ran. If the contract bought hours and a read, and the hours and the read ran, you delivered, even on a slow night. That only holds if the contract says so, which is what the last section of this post is for.

There's one exception. If viewers came in low because of a delivery problem (the stream dropped for an hour and most of chat left), treat it as a delivery problem.

Tell the brand first, the same day

The single best thing you can do is send the email before the brand notices. A brand contact who learns from you that the read got cut off has a small problem. One who learns it from their manager, after watching the VOD, has a trust problem.

Send it the same day, or the next morning after a late stream. Keep it short:

Subject: [BRAND] stream on [DATE]: what happened and how I'll make it right

Hi [NAME],

Quick heads-up on last night's sponsored stream. [WHAT HAPPENED, IN ONE SENTENCE: e.g. "My stream dropped about 40 minutes into the sponsored block and I couldn't get back on."] Here's what did run: [HOURS / SEGMENTS THAT AIRED, WITH VOD TIMESTAMPS].

To make up the rest, I'd like to run [THE MAKE-GOOD: e.g. "an extra sponsored hour with the full read on [DATE]"] at no cost. If that date doesn't work, I'm happy to [SECOND OPTION].

Sorry about this. I'll send the full report once the make-good has run.

[YOUR NAME]

Three things make this email work:

1. Say what happened plainly. No long explanation, no blaming the platform.
2. Show what did run. VOD links and timestamps for the part that went out, the same packet you'd send with the invoice.
3. Offer the fix in the same email. Don't ask the brand "what do you want to do?" Propose something specific and let them accept it or ask for something else.

The three fixes, in order

There are three normal ways to make up a shortfall. Offer them in this order.

1. A make-good

A make-good is extra delivery at no charge to replace what didn't run: an added sponsored hour, a repeat of the missed read on another stream, or the overlay run for an extra window.

It's the first offer because it gives the brand what it actually wanted, which is reach for its campaign, and it costs you time instead of cash. The invoice stays the same, because you're delivering what the brand paid for, just later.

Get two things right:

• Size it to the shortfall. Use the same CPVH math you priced the deal with. A viewer-hour is one person watching for one hour, so if an hour of sponsored stream didn't air, the make-good is roughly an hour at your normal average. Don't offer a whole extra stream to make up a missed overlay window. Over-apologizing with free work teaches the brand that problems pay off.
• Put a date on it. "I'll make it up sometime" is a promise nobody tracks. Name the stream the make-good runs on, and if it's inside the campaign window, say so.

Check timing before you offer one. If the campaign was tied to a launch or a sale that has now ended, an extra hour next week may be worth very little to the brand. That's when you move to the next option.

2. A credit on the next deal

If a make-good doesn't make sense (the campaign window has closed, or the product launch has passed), offer a credit toward the next deal instead: the value of the shortfall comes off the brand's next booking with you.

A credit works well with a brand you expect to work with again, because it keeps the relationship going and points to the next deal. Write it down: the amount, which deal it applies to, and when it expires. A credit with no end date is a debt you carry forever.

Don't offer a credit to a brand that isn't likely to book again. To them it's worth nothing, and it'll feel like you're avoiding the refund.

3. A partial refund

If neither a make-good nor a credit works for the brand, refund the part that didn't run. If the brand hasn't paid yet, it's simpler: reissue the invoice for what was delivered instead of sending money back later.

Size it the same way as a make-good: the share of the paid deliverables that didn't air. If one of three sponsored hours was lost and nothing makes it up, the refund is for that hour, not the whole deal.

A refund is the cleanest option, and sometimes the right one. It's last on the list because it ends the obligation instead of building toward the next deal.

What you don't owe

Owning a real shortfall doesn't mean accepting every complaint. Some things are outside what the deal bought:

• Sales or clicks. Unless the contract has a performance clause, the brand bought airtime and a read, not a number of purchases. If a brand wants to tie pay to results, that's a different deal. The affiliate vs flat fee post covers how to price it.
• A slow night. If the hours and the read ran, a below-average viewer count isn't a shortfall, as long as your contract doesn't promise viewers.
• Changes the brand asked for. If the brand moved the date, swapped the talking points late or pulled the read, the gap is theirs. A cancellation or late change is what a kill fee clause is for.
• The whole fee for a partial miss. A missed overlay window doesn't cancel a stream that otherwise ran. Size every fix to what actually didn't air.

If a brand asks for more than the shortfall, point back to the contract and to the proof. "Here's what the contract covers, here's the VOD showing what ran, and here's what I've offered for the part that didn't" settles most of these.

The contract line that settles it

Every one of these conversations is easier if the contract already answers two questions: what counts as delivered, and what happens if something doesn't run. The contract checklist covers the deliverables spec in general. Here's the part that matters for underdelivery.

Define delivery by what you control. Describe each deliverable by time on air and what happens in it, not by how many people watch:

• Hours of sponsored stream, with the date or window.
• The read: how many times, roughly how long, and the talking points.
• The overlay or link: where it appears and for how long.

Avoid language that makes a viewer count part of delivery, like "a stream reaching [X] concurrent viewers." You can't control turnout on a given night. If a brand wants viewers in the contract, price that risk in or say no. Your quoted average can still be in the contract as the basis of the price, labeled as an estimate.

Write the make-good into the contract. A short remedy clause turns a stressful negotiation into a step you just follow. In plain terms, something like:

If a deliverable does not run as described (for example, because of a technical failure or illness), the Creator will notify the Brand within [X] business days and offer a make-good of equal scope, to run within [Y] days. If the Brand declines the make-good or it cannot run in that time, the parties will agree on a credit toward a future booking or a pro-rated refund of the undelivered portion.

Fill in the brackets with timing you can actually meet. A brand's own contract may already have a clause like this. If it does, read how it sizes the fix and who gets to choose it.

Agree on the proof. The make-good only settles things if both sides can see what ran. Put the proof of delivery list in the contract: VOD link, timestamps for each paid segment, screenshots of the overlay. That same packet shows what aired and what the make-good needs to cover.

This is general information, not legal advice. For a large deal, or contract language you don't fully understand, have a lawyer read it before you sign.

Keep a record of what you owe

A make-good you offered and forgot about is worse than one you never offered. Once a brand accepts a fix, write it down with the deal: what was short, what you agreed to, and the date it runs or the credit expires.

Send a short follow-up after the make-good runs, with the VOD link and timestamps, the same as the original report. That closes the loop, and it gives you a clean record when you ask about the renewal. A brand that watched you handle a bad night well is often an easier renewal than one where nothing went wrong.

FAQ

What is a make-good in a sponsorship?
A make-good is extra delivery at no extra charge to replace something that didn't run as agreed, like an added sponsored hour after a stream dropped or a repeat of a missed read. It keeps the original invoice the same, because you're delivering what the brand paid for, just later.

Do I owe the brand anything if my viewers were lower than usual?
Usually not, if your contract defines delivery by hours on air and the read rather than by a viewer count. Your quote used your average concurrent viewers, and any single night can come in lower. If viewers dropped because of a technical failure, such as the stream going down, treat it as a delivery problem and offer a make-good.

Should I offer a refund or a make-good?
Offer a make-good first, because it gives the brand the reach it wanted. If the campaign window has passed, offer a credit on the next deal. Refund the undelivered part only if neither of those works for the brand.

How big should a make-good be?
Size it to what didn't run, using the same CPVH math you priced the deal with. If one sponsored hour was lost, the make-good is about one hour at your normal average. Offering much more than the shortfall teaches the brand that problems lead to free work.

How do I tell a sponsor my stream crashed during their segment?
Email them the same day, before they notice. Say what happened in one sentence, show what did run with VOD timestamps, and propose a specific make-good with a date. Let them accept it or ask for another option.