Where Will Ninja Go Next?
After Mixer announced its shutdown in July, the big question in the streaming industry has been: Where will Ninja go next?
Ninja, the popular blue-haired content creator, had joined Mixer exclusively last summer. However, within a year, the platform shut down, despite attracting some of Twitch’s top streamers.
While Ninja and Shroud joining Mixer generated attention and boosted viewership, it wasn’t enough. Mixer couldn’t achieve the growth that Facebook and YouTube Gaming did, leading Microsoft to end the platform. Now, Ninja is free to stream wherever he wants.
Since Mixer’s announcement, Ninja has only streamed twice. He streamed once on YouTube Gaming and once on Twitch, with each stream receiving different levels of viewership despite short notice to fans.
His first stream was on YouTube Gaming on July 8, even before Mixer had ceased operations. He peaked at over 165,000 viewers, with an average audience of 118,384.
In less than two hours, Ninja achieved a higher peak on YouTube than he ever did on Mixer, including his first broadcast from Lollapalooza. Despite peaking at 93,000 viewers on Mixer, Ninja couldn’t replicate his massive success from Twitch.
Considering the impromptu nature of his YouTube stream, Ninja’s figures were impressive. He announced the stream on Twitter with short notice.
On Twitch yesterday, with similar notice to fans, Ninja played games with DrLupo for two hours. He peaked at 96,834 viewers and averaged 70,319 viewers, according to Twitch statistics website SullyGnome.
Although the Twitch stream earned Ninja “affiliate” status on the platform, it didn’t perform as well as his YouTube Gaming broadcast.
If Ninja is testing viewership on different platforms, it appears that YouTube Gaming might have an edge. However, for someone with Ninja’s influence, viewership is no longer the sole concern.
Ninja’s unique brand, with the blue hair, headband, and spunky attitude, exceeds what any streaming platform could have imagined years ago.
Returning to a regular streaming schedule on Twitch or YouTube without negotiating a deal would harm Ninja’s potential earnings and undervalue his value as an asset.
In simple terms, Ninja’s recent absence from streaming aligns with the saying, “don’t do something for free if someone will pay you for it.”
Watching Ninja’s stream yesterday, it was evident that he still has passion for streaming. Despite a feature in The Hollywood Reporter about his move towards Hollywood, he remains rooted in gaming.
During the stream, Ninja expressed how much he missed streaming and how he enjoyed playing Fortnite and Warzone. He assured his fans that he would be streaming again soon.
While Tyler Blevins, aka Ninja, has built an extraordinary brand, he remains a streamer and gamer at heart.
It’s challenging to predict whether Ninja will return to Twitch or move to YouTube. Based on his recent time on each platform, it’s evident that he’s exploring both to see which offers the best opportunities.
However, these one-off streams don’t provide significant insight from a viewership perspective. At this stage in his career, the viewership numbers hold a different level of meaning compared to before he was paid to stream on Mixer.
Ninja’s success in 2018 was unprecedented, and it’s unlikely he’ll reach the same viewership levels again. Moreover, it’s no longer solely about the numbers.
Whether Ninja returns to a regular streaming schedule on Twitch or YouTube, it will be a result of behind-the-scenes discussions, not just the audience he attracts on one platform over the other.