IShowSpeed: The Rise and Controversies of the Mega Streamer

2024-07-13 19:36:04

Published13. July 2024, 21:36

Youtube-Gigant: Who is the mega streamer “IShowSpeed” really?

Over 100,000 people watch his stream regularly. Its lively nature inspires the younger generation in particular, but its success is met with controversy.

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• The IShowSpeed ​​YouTube streamer is currently viewed millions of times.

• The American recently visited Switzerland and attracted a huge crowd.

• Through streams, partnerships and commercials on videos, he is now said to have a fortune of around ten million US dollars.

IShowSpeed ​​has over 26 million subscribers​​​​(19) on his YouTube channel alone. The US streamer has become one of the biggest content creators on the platform since launching in 2016, reaching an average of around 130,000 live viewers in his last 15 streams.

Darren Watkins Jr., as the streamer’s real name is, is currently traveling across Europe. At the end of last week, the YouTube star even stopped in Switzerland and attracted a huge crowd with his presence.

IShowSpeed ​​​​​​​​​in Switzerland with professional soccer player Alisha Lehmann (25).

Youtube/IShowSpeed

Darren Watkins Jr.: The beginning of his career

At the beginning of his career, Watkins mainly published gaming videos. However, regular uploads only started in 2019. He had his first viral moments about two years later, when several excerpts from his streams were viewed millions of times on various social media platforms.

Its unfiltered and lively nature was especially welcomed by the younger target audience. From then on, scenes where the YouTuber screams loudly in front of his monitor or falls out of his chair because of horror games could be seen every day in the streams of the now 19-year-old. According to “celebritynetworth”, Speed ​​has achieved an estimated fortune of ten million US dollars (almost nine million francs) through donations, partnerships or advertisements in YouTube videos. Not bad!

Youtube/KrapBlek

Enthusiasm for cult footballer Cristiano Ronaldo

At the end of the year 2022 he finally reached a new height and his enthusiasm in football and especially for the Portuguese cult footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (39) leading more and more. In particular, Ronaldo’s legendary victory cry “Siuu” (originally “Si”, ie “Yes” in Spanish) seems to be burned into Watkin’s brain.

Since Speed ​​​​likes to mispronounce various words in an exaggerated way – apparently – the “Siuu” became “Suwii”, which was finally associated with the streamer and whose fans are under pressure at every opportunity from then on.

Youtube Clips/IShowSpeed

According to various reports, the obsession with the 39-year-old professional footballer stems from a stream where the 19-year-old was asked which football team he would support. Speed ​​then replied: “Christa Ronaldo. Suwi. It’s that simple, bro.” Watkins now has Ronaldo’s face tattooed on his upper arm and even met him in person in mid-2023.

IShowSpeed ​​Controversies

However, the unfiltered nature of IShowSpeed ​​has caused various controversies in the past. Like at the end of 2022, when he broadcast the match between Switzerland and Portugal live on his channel from the World Cup stadium in Qatar. Among the spectators he saw a man of Asian origin wearing an Argentina jersey – the country that Ronaldo’s “rival” Lionel Messi (37) plays for. He tried to address him, but he did not speak his language, which Watkins stereotypically used the language of the Asian.

On the other hand, probably the most famous controversy involving the streamer happened last year. In August 2023, he played the horror game “Five Night at Freddy’s” in front of around 25,000 people. The game series is famous for its many “jumpscares”, ie a sudden moment of shock. During one of these jump scares, Speed ​​jumped up, accidentally revealing his punishment to the entire audience.

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