ESI London 2024 Panel showcase: “The show must go on”

Ahead of ESI London 2024 on June 13th, we take a look at the topic behind one of our main stage panels: what content creators should do to create long-term success in the livestreaming industry.

In 2019, major news outlets had a field day after a study found more children wanted to be full-time YouTubers than astronauts — almost three times as many, in fact. It was a reflection on just how mainstream the creator lifestyle had become.

Of course, in the esports and gaming industries we’ve known this for ages. Content creators like YouTubers and Twitch streamers have long been a core part of the way people consume gaming content, and gaming creators are arguably more entrenched in the gaming zeitgeist than they are in other entertainment verticals. With the rise of co-streaming, streamers are becoming more and more embedded within esports itself — and competition is once again increasing among streaming platforms for esports audiences.

Many have managed to create stable incomes through livestreaming, and a select few have gotten wildly rich and famous. A major Twitch data leak in October 2021 revealed that top creators were earning several million dollars per year from subscriptions, Twitch Bits and ad sales alone. At least 25 creators were earning over a million dollars per year from those revenue streams, per the leaked data. 

But the flashy sums internet fame can bring in the short-term may be hiding an uncomfortable fact: nothing lasts forever. Livestreaming is a young new industry, and the long-term personal outcomes for streamers — both mentally and financially — are not yet understood.

We simply don’t yet know how long even a successful creator can expect their career to last, yet the answer is important in helping creators save and plan for a future where they might choose or be forced to move onto new pastures. And it’s not just financial outcomes streamers must think about; streaming can be intensive and mentally tough work, and the longer-term impacts on mental health are only just starting to be understood.

How should creators prepare to ensure their channels sustain them for the length of a career? Is burnout cutting careers short in the space — and if so, how can it be avoided? 

Importantly, what does all this mean for brands and businesses looking to build longer-term connections with creators?

At ESI London 2024, a Twitch streamer will join executives from streaming platform Noice and media agency PHD for ‘The show must go on’, a panel set to explore the future of an industry that has a habit of living in the present.