In what could be a sign of things to come for both the near and far future of livestreaming, famed content creator MrBeast chose Kick to host his latest streaming fundraiser, sending shockwaves through an industry and raising questions about what this means for both Kick and its leading competitors.
Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson is one of the most prominent content creators of the day, with hundreds of millions of followers across multiple platforms. Many recognize him for his various business ventures, crazy video challenges, massive fundraisers, and popular giveaways. The streamer has garnered over 93 billion views on YouTube since his account was first created in 2012. Needless to say, MrBeast has the following and the cash to make waves wherever he goes.
Yet despite his already having a firm hold on YouTube, and there being a large potential audience ready and waiting for him on Twitch, MrBeast chose to take the massive weight of his digital presence to Kick. So what does that mean for the future of all major streaming platforms?
On August 14, MrBeast teamed up with popular Kick streamers to raise money through a fundraiser for his TeamWater charity.
During an online feud between famed streamers Felix “xQc” Lengyel and Kai Cenat about who was richer, MrBeast took a position in encouraging both to donate to one of his charities, TeamWater. Just over a week later, MrBeast followed up by announcing that he would be streaming on Kick for the first time, along with xQc and Kick mainstay Adin Ross. The stated aim was to raise both awareness and money for TeamWater.
Image credit: MrBeast (@MrBeast) on X
MrBeast set the initial goal for the fundraiser at $5 million and announced that the stream wouldn’t end until the goal was reached. By the end of what became an event lasting over 15 hours, the stream raised over $12 million dollars for charity. Much of the money came from big singular donors, including BELOVE Electrolytes, Kick CEO Ed Craven, and Kick streamer Trainwreckstv. But no matter where the money came from, there was no questioning that MrBeast’s Kick debut was an unmitigated success, and one that raised the overall profile of Kick substantially.
Beyond the money raised, the event was important because MrBeast is one of the biggest content creators on the internet and has become something of a digital trendsetter, and where he takes his content holds a lot of weight.
As of the time of writing, MrBeast currently holds the most-followed YouTube account with over 400 million subscribers. His Twitch account is significantly smaller but still sizeable at 580,000 followers. If even a fraction of his subscribers were to move to Kick, it would be a massive boost for Kick’s bottom line and overall user count. MrBeast already has nearly 400,000 followers on his new Kick channel. To demonstrate how significant that is, MrBeast’s Kick follower count is already close to the total number of average daily users on the platform.
MrBeast is far from the only streamer to make the move to Kick in recent years. The streaming platform boasts a 95-5 revenue split on user subscriptions with its content creators and a lesser focus on strict moderation, especially when compared to streaming giants Twitch and YouTube. It boasts a number of prominent names beyond Adin Ross and xQc, as such streamers as Luis “Westcol” Villa and Ahmed “SXB” Alqahtan combine for millions of followers. Famed gaming and entertainment brand FaZe Clan has recently increased its own presence on Kick.
Even beyond the financial advantages, some streamers have taken to leaving Twitch in recent years due to changes with the platform’s structure, or to its Terms of Service. MrBeast himself had complained previously about the limitations on branded content and sponsored streams on Twitch. The Amazon-owned streaming platform is also more prone to demonetizing streams and banning or suspending its streamers than is Kick. Twitch bans and related restrictions were one of the reasons Adin Ross originally moved his own audience to Kick.
Yet while other content creators have previously made such a move, they all pale in comparison to the massive weight of MrBeast, which is why his decision to focus his latest content push on Kick feels like a potential tipping point.
With MrBeast moving at least some of his content to Kick, there are a number of other potential targets who could also make the switch.
MrBeast is well-known for his collaborations with other creators, so a smart move for Kick would be to focus on pulling in streamers around his periphery. One of the biggest names he’s worked with before is Darren “IShowSpeed” Watkins, who joined MrBeast as part of a Wipeout-themed stream with the goal of raising money for charity. Other popular streamers to have worked with MrBeast have included Imane “Pokimane” Anys and Ludwig Ahgren.
Image credit: IShowSpeed (@IShowSpeed) on YouTube
Kick definitely has the pull and the resources to make platform-hopping appealing to large-scale content creators. When xQc moved from Twitch, Kick offered him a $100-million dollar contract that still stands as one of the largest deals in all of livestreaming. Kick has seemingly backed off of spending so extravagantly on individual streamers, but if the right creator were to come available, the Stake-backed platform certainly has the funds to make something happen.
With multiple platforms to manage and each likely pushing for his time, it’s unclear exactly how much time MrBeast will spend on Kick moving forward. But his debut on the platform has already made a big impact, exposing many to the brand for the very first time, and it’s unlikely Kick is willing to let this newfound momentum go to waste.
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