Mixer, the video game streaming service owned by Microsoft has dealt a major blow to incumbent market leading streaming service by signing streaming superstar Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek. 

Video game streaming has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment for 18-34 year olds. "Streamers" broadcast a live video feed of themselves playing popular video games, often alongside a selfie camera filming showing them playing in real life. Until recently, there has only been one major streaming service used by streamers. 

Mixer has entered the arena, boosted by two key exclusive deals with the most popular streamers: Tyler “Ninja” Blevins in August 2019 and most recently Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek. Exact details of the contents of the deals are unknown, but are widely speculated to be many millions of dollars per year.

Although still hundreds of millions of viewer hours behind the market leading streaming service each month, Mixer is now seen by the streaming community as a viable and growing alternative to the incumbent. For the most part, streamers and viewers alike are positive about the introduction of a new player in the hope that added competitive will improve viewer experiences and financial viability for streamers. 

Other streaming competitors are making moves into the market targeting a wider audience than just gamers, such as Caffeine.