The streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins will no longer stream on Twitch.TV. The Fortnite boom made him the biggest streamer on Twitch. Instead, he is going exclusively to the competitor “Mixer” from Microsoft. What are the reactions?
This is how Ninja explained the switch: On the evening of August 1, 2019, the streamer who became famous primarily through Fortnite announced that he would leave Twitch and will now exclusively stream on Mixer. This is the livestreaming platform from Microsoft.
He made his announcement in a staged press conference style. “I know many might be shocked right now. But starting today, I will be streaming exclusively on Mixer,” he begins his speech.
How long Ninja will stay exclusively at Mixer and further details of the deal are currently unclear. In his video, he explains that he will remain himself, just on another platform.
Ninja far ahead as number 1 on Twitch
Why is this so surprising? Ninja was considered the king of Twitch. On his Twitch channel, he has over 14 million followers, making him number 1. In second place for the most followers is shooter pro Shroud with 6.7 million followers.
In the gaming scene, Ninja is a star; almost everyone has heard his name. He was hugely successful on Twitch, at one point having 269,000 paid subscribers supporting him there. At that time, Fortnite, his main game, was just at its peak.
As a streamer on Twitch, with his videos on YouTube and with sponsorships, he achieved a considerable income. Ninja even revealed how much he earned in 2018.
Additionally, Twitch is a massive gaming platform, and Ninja is among the top streamers there. For Microsoft, this is a big step to acquire such a well-known face for its own livestreaming platform.
Here’s how it continues on Mixer: His channel on Mixer is already set up. The first stream starts today, August 2. He will be live from Lollapalooza. Currently, there is a limited-time offer on Mixer. You can request a subscription for Ninja for free.
Here’s the Mixer channel of Ninja.
“What did Microsoft pay for that?”
What are the reactions? In the comments on Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, and Co., people are mainly talking about how expensive this deal for Microsoft must have been.
“My God, how much did Microsoft pay Ninja?” “Well, enough to give up all that Twitch Prime money. I bet the kid with the 3 million from the Fortnite World Championship is nothing compared to what Microsoft paid Ninja,” you read on Reddit.
Another Reddit user now sees an important moment: “Hopefully, this opens the doors for real competition against Twitch. They desperately need something to keep them in check.”
Viewers are now excited to see which other big names Microsoft will bring into the livestreaming fold.
