YouTube signs gaming creators LazarBeam, Muselk and Valkyrae to exclusive live streaming deals
Muselk to Host 12- Hour Livestream with LazarBeam Today to Benefit Australian Bushfire Crisis; First YouTube Livestream for Valkyrae to Begin Tuesday, January 14
YouTube today announced that the platform will be the exclusive live streaming home for three well-renowned gaming creators: LazarBeam, Muselk and Valkyrae who combined have over 21 million subscribers. As the largest global gaming platform where over 200 million logged-in users watch gaming every single day, YouTube is continuing to bolster its global gaming content with today’s announcement.
With an already healthy audience on the platform, LazarBeam (12.3M subscribers) has the eighth most viewed channel on YouTube with over 2B views in 2019; Muselk (8.15M subscribers) whose boundless excitement for gaming has driven him to gain 7.8M subscribers over the last two years; and Valkyrae, a rising superstar live streamer on the verge of breaking 1M subs on YouTube. All three will continue to grow their presence on the platform and Muselk and Valkyrae will kick off their first-ever YouTube live streams today (Muselk) and tomorrow, January 14 (Valkyrae).
Muselk, in coordination with Click Management and LazarBeam, will host a 12 hour charity livestream with the goal to raise $1M AUD for the Australian Bushfire Crisis. To get involved, tune into Muselk’s channel at 2:00 PST today and donate at the #FightTheFires GoFundMe page.
Lannan (LazarBeam) is one of the world's biggest content creators, with over 12 million subscribers. Starting on YouTube in 2015, Lannan quickly found an audience with his down to earth personality and humor. His Aussie larrikin personality resonated with a huge audience, as he showed people you don't have to be the best to have fun gaming. Moving to Fortnite in 2018, Lannan's growth exploded, and he has since grown to be one of the top ten most viewed gaming creators in the world. Through starting streaming on YouTube, Lannan’s aim is to 'do more,' by showing his audience a different side of himself, experimenting with new digital content, and creating a bigger impact on the world of entertainment. His deal with YouTube was brokered by WME and Click Management.
Elliott (Muselk) has loved gaming since he was a kid. Originally studying to earn a law degree, Elliott started making YouTube videos after classes at night. As his passion grew, so too did his audience, and through convincing his parents to let him 'take a six month break' from university, he never looked back, jumping full time into content creation on YouTube. Elliott has grown to an 8 million subscriber audience through his palpable love for games. He is passionate about helping other creators grow in the industry and is a co-owner of Click Management, one of the leading talent management agencies for digital gaming creators. His deal with YouTube was brokered by WME and Click Management.
Rachell Hofstetter (Valkyrae) is a top female Fortnite creator who previously streamed games such as Witcher 3, Hearthstone and Dark Souls. She was invited to the Fortnite PRO AM tournament at E3 2019 and saw explosive growth following the event on Instagram, YouTube and Twitch. Rachell was the first female member to join top esports organization 100 Thieves. Beyond her Fortnite success, Rachell is known for her diverse content, including her collaborations with other creators, vlogs, and charity streams for philanthropic initiatives such as the Gamers Outreach Foundation. She also has a passion for fitness and is dedicated to promoting a healthy lifestyle in the world of live streaming. She plans to use YouTube’s global reach to translate the importance of mental and physical well-being to viewers across the world. Her deal with YouTube was brokered by UTA.
“Gaming on YouTube just had its best year yet. We saw over 35 million people upload a gaming video in 2019, we had live stream events like Fortnite ‘The End,’ where over 4 million people tuned in and we added incredible creators like Lachlan and CouRage to our ever expanding roster of exclusive live streamers,“ said Ryan Wyatt, Head of Gaming, YouTube. “Every gaming creator, no matter where they live stream, is a YouTube gaming creator, and we’re proud to be the home of the best gaming content in the world. 2020 is poised to be even better than 2019 with the exciting content we know will be coming from LazarBeam, Muselk and Valkyrae. We’re so excited to have them be a part of our global live streaming family.”
“I’m so excited to join YouTube as a streamer!,” said Valkyrae. “From day one, the YouTube team has been fully aligned with all of my goals. With the support from YouTube, my family and my fans, I will not only continue to do my best as a streamer, but I will also venture into other areas of content and grow my brand even further! I am so grateful for the opportunities and for all my loyal fans who have stuck with me though all my decisions throughout my career. I can’t wait for the next chapter!”
“Livestreaming is an incredible opportunity to both grow my channel as well as have even more meaningful interactions with my audience,” said Muselk. “I’m so happy to have YouTube as my home for that, and bring my viewers both my video and live content together on the same platform!”
