Over the past few years, streamers have become increasingly popular, but what is a steamer? A streamer is someone who shares live videos through platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Discord, and many others.
As opposed to television broadcasting, streamers do not usually follow a strict schedule for sharing their live content; they can “go live” whenever they want and for however long they want.
Streamers have the freedom to showcase various types of content given that they do not have restrictions on what they can create as long as they do not violate the community guidelines of the platform they stream on.
What Do Streamers Do?
There are several contributing factors to the recent success of content creators, such as collaborations with other streamers. Streamers can broadcast another channel’s stream on their own channel, a function on Twitch also known as “hosting”. Streamers who “host” a broadcast will have their own channel’s chat and viewers while sharing another user’s content.
One of the most common types of streaming is video game streaming. These include popular video games such as League of Legends, FIFA, Counter Strike, GTA, or Fortnite. Streamers also interact with their audience to talk about their lives by answering questions asked in the chat in what is known as IRL streaming. IRL streaming also includes streamers sharing content based on real-life settings such as daily activities, travel, events, and challenges.
Streamers can broadcast whatever they are interested in: cooking programs, sightseeing in different cities, tournaments, and events are just some of the many examples.
Internet Celebrities
Richard Blevins (Ninja), Raúl Álvarez (auronplay), Rubén Doblas (Rubius), Ibai Llanos (ibai), and Félix Lengyel (xQc) are the most followed streamers on twitch as of October 27, 2022, with Ninja topping the list with nearly 18.5 million followers.
The most followed American streamers after Ninja include Turner Tenney (Tfue), Thomas Morris (sodapoppin), and Michael Peters (Heelmike) who placed 6th, 11th, and 12th in the Twitch most followed list, respectively.
Additionally, during the pandemic, public figures from other industries such as sports players, musicians, or any other public figure joined Twitch as streamers to pass time during quarantine. One of the most widely known public figures to join Twitch is Justin Bieber, who streamed interviews, music sessions, and new content.
Millions of users consume streaming content daily, and becoming a streamer is an ideal career path for those who like to manage their own schedule. When asked what they would like to be when they grow up, many children and teenagers will answer “a streamer”, a new addition to the list of possible careers.
