Twitch Hits Mainstream: Drake and Ninja Break Streaming Records While Playing Fortnite

If yous had previously never heard of Twitch, then today may be the day that changes, as more and more than people hype upwardly the platform. That'due south because Twitch's biggest streamer, Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins teamed upwards with popular hip-hop star Drake to stream trending Battle Royale game Fortnite, swell an all-time record for most concurrent viewers on an individual'south live stream.

Record-Breaking Stream

Concord your breath, you wouldn't believe this. More than than 600,000 people were glued to their computer/ phone screen watching Ninja and Drake take down cartoonish enemies in Fortnite at ane:thirty a.m PST. The stream managed to push out Dr. Disrespect's previous record of 388,000 concurrent viewers.

During the stream, Drake said that he had been playing Fortnite on his PS4 (while Ninja plays the game on PC) for a couple odd months. He asserted that his team took a small break to play Fortnite in between recording sessions and that he'd been watching Ninja'south gameplay both on Instagram and YouTube for quite some time.

Rumors of Drake possibly streaming games with Ninja start surfaced when the hip-hop star followed the streamer on Instagram. And the viewers were greeted with a surprise today, such that a boatload flocked in to spotter them.

The Twitch stream initiated with only 200,000 viewers for Ninja, which is not uncommon for him, but the numbers started to escalate and reached unexpected heights when Drake tweeted out a link to the stream to all of his 36+ meg followers. This pushed the viewers to over 500,000 and in that location was no coming back:

playing fort nite with @ninja https://t.co/OSFbgcfzaZ

— Drizzy (@Drake) March 15, 2018

Those who were keeping track of the game saw Ninja and Drake score some victories, but the stream became a striking because of the non-stop fun and was further spiced upwardly by the entry of more celebrities. Hip-hop star Travis Scott, American football game star JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom likewise joined in on the fun.

It'south lit!! pic.twitter.com/V5vjhLjykN

— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) March 15, 2018

Ninja currently boasts of having close to 3.4 million followers (non paid) and 176,000 paid subscribers, so you know he's earned hundred pf thousands of dollars from the Twitch streams, but this was fame at some other level, going beyond the usual gamer audience.

So proud & happy of everyone supporting @ninja & the huge accomplishments achieved this evening. He has such a good heart & has helped put the spotlight on @Twitch even more.

The love for gaming is taking over 2018. 🙌🏻

— Anthony Kongphan (@AnthonyKongphan) March 15, 2018

The stream also shone more spotlight on Fortnite, which had recently overtaken PUBG equally the virtually-streamed game, and Twitch as a whole. Fortnite garnered a ton of limelight in the process, showing that even Hollywood stars and singers savor this funky, yet intense, battle royale game.

One matter is clear: Ninja and Drake's antics and the 600K-plus viewers on the stream have created a watershed moment for Twitch, which is endemic by Amazon. The company is making major inroads in its boxing against YouTube and open live streaming to an audience who may not accept known near it before. YouTube followed suit with YouTube Gaming but that could soon get irrelevant if Twitch continues this form.

this is history in the making, ladies and gentlemen

if twitch wasn't mainstream already, this is its big suspension

— Sam Sheffer (@samsheffer) March 15, 2018

Biggest stream e'er on a solo creator's channel and maybe all of Twitch. The gamer/ streamer globe normally doesn't get taken this seriously. Information technology's insane exposure and brownie for gaming and streamers everywhere

— Jacksepticeye (@Jacksepticeye) March 15, 2018

This could be the moment Twitch goes across the niche community of gamers and becomes a mainstream success. And the platform has already prepared to hog the attending away from its curvation-nemesis YouTube with the IRL department. Information technology has fifty-fifty poached a ton of well-known YouTubers to requite the real-life sectiona big push, making the platform more friendly for the general masses.

People who say esports doesn't have a future considering they pass up to sympathise it have to be so confused right now. film.twitter.com/NCQTk3pILo

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) March xv, 2018

And as the online community has rightly pointed out this reaffirms the fact that esports are here to stay and game streaming could get mainstream and not and so overnice. Twitch is most likely to witness an uptick in user numbers, following this tape-breaking stream and could requite YouTube more to worry about. And then, were you able to catch Drake playing Fortnite with Ninja? If non, check out a epitomize of the whole stream right here.