Streamer Darren “IShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. is the biggest livestreamer on YouTube. His career had an extraordinary start: a donation of 1.60 euros set everything in motion.
Who is the streamer? It is the streamer IShowSpeed. He is considered the biggest gaming streamer on YouTube (via Statista), even though he now mainly produces IRL and lifestyle content. In 2016, at just 11 years old, he created his YouTube channel, with which he took off in 2021.
In his streams, one might think he is always looking for the next possible escalation, as he seems to have no real impulse control. Viewers tune into his streams primarily to watch dangerous actions, like when he jumped over a moving car: YouTube: 19-year-old shows the stunt that ended Thomas Gottschalk’s career.
The streamer is also known for his strange and often controversial behavior. His outbursts earned him an indefinite ban on Twitch, which was lifted in 2023 after nearly 2 years. In the video, you can see the consequences of his behavior:
A donation changes everything
In a YouTube livestream from 2021, a moment went viral: a donation from viewer Bradley of 1.60 euros came with the question of which football team he would support. IShowSpeed responded: “Cristan [sic!] Ronaldo. SUI!” (via YouTube).
The mispronunciation of Cristiano Ronaldo’s name and the strange “SUI,” the famous cheer of the football player, made the clip go viral. IShowSpeed was only 18 years old when the virality of the stream snippet brought him sudden fame.
The “SUI!” and the fact that he is a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo become his trademark. In 2023, IShowSpeed gets to attend the Ballon d’Or, an important award for football players, and is sad that Messi is receiving the award and not his idol.
Now, at 20 years old, IShowSpeed has built a career as a content creator that has made him a millionaire. On YouTube, his channel has over 38 million followers and has garnered over 347 million views in the last 30 days (via SocialBlade).
In an interview at Complexcon 2024, IShowSpeed gave vague hints about his wealth. It is estimated to be around 10 million US dollars, to which the streamer only replied, “Something in between.”.
IShowSpeed’s enthusiasm for football and Cristiano Ronaldo is unmatched. Alongside other influencers and football stars like Roberto Carlos, the YouTube streamer played football. However, it didn’t go very fairly on his side: 19-year-old becomes famous for playing football on YouTube, has to play himself, fails.
