Livestreaming, live-streaming, or live streaming is the streaming of video or audio in real time or near real time. While often referred to simply as streaming, the real-time nature of livestreaming differentiates it from other non-live broadcast forms of streamed media such as video-on-demand, vlogs and video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.
Twitch is an American video live-streaming service popular in video games, including broadcasts of esports competitions. It also offers music broadcasts, creative content, and "in real life" streams. Twitch is operated by Twitch Interactive, a subsidiary of Amazon. It was introduced in June 2011 as a spin-off of the general-interest streaming platform Justin.tv.
The live streaming of video games is an activity where people broadcast themselves playing games to a live audience online. The practice became popular in the mid-2010s on the US-based site Twitch, before growing to YouTube, Facebook, China-based sites Huya Live, DouYu, and Bilibili, and other services. By 2014, Twitch streams had more traffic than HBO's online streaming service, HBO Go. Professional streamers often combine high-level play and entertaining commentary, and earn income from sponsors, subscriptions, ad revenue, and donations.
Michael Grzesiek, better known as Shroud, is a Canadian streamer, YouTuber, former professional Valorant player, and former professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player. As of April 2022, his Twitch channel has reached over 10 million followers, ranking as the eighth most-followed channel on the platform, and his YouTube channel has over 6.79 million subscribers.
Richard Tyler Blevins, better known as Ninja, is an American online streamer, YouTuber and professional gamer. Blevins began streaming through participating in several esports teams in competitive play for Halo 3, and gradually picked up fame when he first started playing Fortnite Battle Royale in late 2017. Blevins gained the notice of mainstream media in March 2018 when he played Fortnite together with Drake, Travis Scott and JuJu Smith-Schuster on stream, breaking a peak viewer count record on Twitch. Blevins has over 19 million followers on his Twitch channel, making it the most-followed Twitch channel as of December 2024.
Timothy John Betar, better known as TimTheTatman, is an American live streamer and YouTube personality.
OfflineTV is an online social entertainment group of content creators based in Los Angeles, California. They produce a wide range of content, from prank videos to vlogs to the housemates playing games together. The group maintains a large following on their social media platforms.
Ludwig Anders Ahgren is an American live streamer, YouTuber, podcaster, comedian, esports commentator, and competitor. Ahgren is best known for his live streams on Twitch from 2018 through late 2021, and on YouTube beginning in late 2021, where he broadcasts video-game-related content as well as non-video-game-related content such as game shows and contests. He is also known for his work as an esports commentator at various Super Smash Bros. Melee tournaments. He is the co-owner of the esports organization Shopify Rebellion. He began streaming full-time on February 16, 2019.
Hasan Doğan Piker, also known as HasanAbi, is a Turkish-American online streamer, YouTuber, influencer, and left-wing political commentator. His streams typically consist of political and social commentary, gaming, and media consumption. As of 2024, Piker is the most subscribed political commentator and has the 21st-most subscribed channel of all time on the streaming platform Twitch.
Thomas Michael Simons, better known as TommyInnit, is an English YouTuber, Twitch streamer, comedian and author. He produces Minecraft-related videos and live streams, including collaborations with fellow YouTubers and streamers in the Dream SMP.
David Cánovas Martínez, better known as TheGrefg or simply Grefg, is a Spanish YouTuber and Twitch streamer. With 18.2 million subscribers, he has one of the most-subscribed Spanish YouTube channels, and is among the most-followed Twitch channels with over 11.8 million followers on that platform.
George Davidson, better known online as GeorgeNotFound, is an English internet personality, YouTuber, and Twitch streamer. He gained substantial popularity in 2020 and 2021 through uploading Minecraft content. Alongside content creator and frequent collaborator Dream, Davidson founded the Dream SMP, a Minecraft role-playing server consisting of multiple storylines and characters. As of July 2023, Davidson's five YouTube channels have all collectively reached over 15.2 million subscribers and over 742.1 million views.
Ironmouse is a Puerto Rican-American VTuber, singer, and Twitch streamer. Active since 2017, she is a founding member of the VTuber group VShojo launched in 2020. In 2024, she became the most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time, surpassing Kai Cenat's first record during a September 2024 subathon, before being surpassed herself by Cenat during a November 2024 subathon.
Blaire, known online as QTCinderella, is an American Twitch streamer, YouTuber, and podcaster. She is the creator and host of The Streamer Awards. She is also a co-host of the Wine About It podcast and the Fear& podcast.
On March 14, 2021, American livestreamer Ludwig Ahgren began continuously livestreaming on Twitch. The livestream ended on April 13, 2021, after 31 days. A subathon is a type of livestream in which viewer donations add more time to a descending timer that counts down to the end of the stream. Throughout the streams' duration, Ahgren received 282,191 subscriptions, breaking the previous record set in 2018 by Tyler "Ninja" Blevins of the most concurrent subscribers on Twitch. The subathon's content consisted of talking to his viewers and stream moderators, playing games, and sleeping, among other various daily activities. During Ahgren's sleep breaks his moderators entertained the audience, for which they were financially compensated. Ahgren grossed US$1,434,850 from the stream, before taxes, charity donations, and other deductions. Not including sponsorships, Ahgren profited $202,000.
Kai Carlo Cenat III is an American online streamer, YouTuber, and influencer, who specializes in comedic live streams and videos. As of 2024, he is the fifth most-followed Twitch streamer with 13 million followers and most-subscribed Twitch streamer.
Nicholas Stewart, better known as Jynxzi, is an American Twitch streamer, YouTuber, and player of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, an online tactical shooter game. He is the sixth most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time. He was named "Best Breakthrough Streamer" and "Gamer of the Year" at the 2024 Streamer Awards.
Michele Trombetta is an Italian footballer who plays as a forward for Serie D club Forlì.
