Internet Culture And Platforms Codexery

Online streamer

A social media influencer who broadcasts live to an audience.

Last updated

Today, streamers can earn income from ad revenue, subscriptions, and endorsements, making it a sought-after career.[1] The practice of streaming first appeared in the mid-to-late 2000s, with platforms such as YouTube enabling users to post vlogs and Let's Plays.[1]

Quick Facts

Field
Live streaming
Known for
  • Broadcasting live content to an audience
  • including video games
  • IRL streams
  • virtual avatars
  • and more

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

Initially, streaming sites banned non-gaming streams, but demand for such content grew.[2] Virtual avatars, called VTubers, are used instead of a streamer's face, sometimes with voice changers.[3] Pornographic streams allow direct communication with performers, who may broadcast nude or sexual acts on demand.[4] In South Korea, streamers are called "broadcast jockeys" and have become popular for being relatable to viewers.[5]

Since the early days of live streaming, Let's Plays have consistently been the most favored type of content among streamers.[6] PewDiePie and Ninja, two of the largest video game streamers, each generate millions of dollars annually from their streaming activities.[6] Many streamers produce non-gaming "IRL" content, which can include broadcasting their everyday routines.[2] By 2020, the number of active VTubers had surpassed 10,000.[3]

A Twitch streamer known as "Emily" maintained a continuous broadcast for more than 1,100 days, sharing her daily routines, meals, and personal moments.[7]

What the cited sources add

China is now the biggest market for live streaming, where numerous streamers earn between $10,000 and $100,000 each month.[8] China's live streaming market expanded by 180% in 2016, and many streamers there attract an average of 100,000 viewers per broadcast.[9][10]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Online streamer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Anderton, "The Business Of Video Games: Streamers And Refereum [Infographic]", Forbes; "Average streamer number on YouTube Gaming Live and Twitch 2018 - Statistic", Statista (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Online streamer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Twitch now permits streamers to broadcast non-gaming vlog-style content", 15 December 2016; "IRL Streaming: Spontaneous Entertainment For An Audience That's Always Live", uk.news.yahoo.com (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Online streamer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "ユーザーローカル、バーチャルYouTuberの1万人突破を発表 9000人から4ヵ月で1000人増 PANORA", 2020-01-15 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Online streamer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: AVN, "Plexstorm's Streaming Site Connects Porn Gamer Girls with Fans", AVN (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Online streamer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Former Idols Are Becoming Broadcast Jockeys, And It's No Wonder Why", 10 May 2018; "Actress Shin Se-kyung thrives as YouTuber", koreatimes, December 12, 2018; Kim, "Celebrities Who Have Become Broadcast Jockeys aka BJ's", 6 March 2018; "More politicians become YouTubers to promote themselves", koreatimes, 9 December 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Online streamer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The YouTuber who has made more money than Cameron Diaz this year", The Independent, 15 October 2015; Tassi, "'Fortnite' Legend Ninja Talks Twitch Fame And Fortune, And The Game That Got Him There", Forbes (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Online streamer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Inside the life of a 24/7 streamer: 'What more do you want?'", The Washington Post, 4 May 2025 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Online streamer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "How to make $100,000 a month in China, live-streaming your life - The Washington Post", The Washington Post (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Online streamer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Report: China's live streaming market grew 180% in 2016 · TechNode", 31 March 2017 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Online streamer" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Chen, "China's live-streaming explosion: a game changer for all?", www.cnbc.com, 1 December 2016 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Online streamer (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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