The following is a guest piece written by Ashray Urs, head of Streamlabs. Opinions are the author’s own.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded with a decidedly American spectacle: a bombastic closing ceremony that brought a cast of the world’s biggest celebrities to the stage — including one known mainly by his username.
Darren Watkins Jr., aka IShowSpeed, was recently named one of Forbes’ Top 10 Creators. He’s the new face of Expedia, the main character of an upcoming anime series and the first Black creator to hit 50 million YouTube subscribers. He’s been dubbed “Gen Z’s ESPN” and, for one hour, the mayor of Lima, Peru.
How does a kid from Ohio become a global megastar? By being himself and streaming it live.
Like many streamers, IShowSpeed started in gaming, going viral for his explosive reactions to gameplay moments. As his platform grew, he suddenly had the whole world at his fingertips, leading him to make what would be a career-defining move to IRL (in-real-life) streaming. Throughout his travels, he filmed himself meeting new people, discovering new cultures and getting into instantly viral shenanigans, while taking his audience with him every step of the way.
IShowSpeed is arguably the world’s most famous IRL streamer, but he’s far from the only one. The format is growing in popularity across social platforms as creators stream their travels, their experiences at events like Coachella and slices of their everyday lives.
For brands, IRL streamers offer access to deeply invested audiences. When viewers tune in to these livestreams, they see it more as spending time with a friend than watching an entertainer perform. The passion of fandom collides with the intimacy of real life, and amid the ongoing battle for attention, that point of collision is where brands find consumers at their most engaged.
How IRL captured Gen Z
Creators have been brands’ through-line to Gen Z for a while, and it largely comes down to trust. They follow influencers because they find them relatable, authentic and honest; 87% of Gen Zers will buy a product because an influencer they followed recommended it.
IRL streamers bring these factors into a new dimension. For one, the format fills a unique social need. Gen Z had their high school and college experiences disrupted by COVID lockdowns. Virtual connection became just as powerful as in-person bonding, because for a while, it was all they had.
IRL streamers offer an adventure into someone else’s everyday, with the creator serving as the catalyst for a genuine community where members build relationships with one another. And while Gen Z does crave more in-person experiences nowadays, the IRL format is naturally more conducive to IRL engagement. Audiences’ favorite streamers could come to their hometown, or attend the same concert or sporting event, to bring their community together.
There’s also a psychological element. IRL content like iShowSpeed’s, which puts emotionality front and center, provides genuine catharsis. For a generation that lives in fear of being “cringe,” IRL and reaction content gives them a kind of proxy: IRL streamers, and the brands that partner with them, meet audiences in a place where they feel like they can be themselves.
Addressing the risks
Working with livestreamers used to be a gamble. Real-time content is unpredictable and brands have far less control over the final content than they would in a scripted video. For the particularly cautious, spontaneity screens as unmitigated risk.
However, brands’ wariness has faded as streamers have commanded greater cultural capital. Listerine, for example, worked with music streamers on Twitch for a series of streams chronicling the recording of a soundtrack made of mouthwashing sounds. E.l.f., the beauty and cosmetics brand, has partnered with streamers to host shoppable livestreams.
While real-world environments give creators more to play off of, they also introduce additional risks. IRL, they’re contending with people on the street, connectivity and networking challenges, permitting and access considerations and the general hazards of everyday life in public spaces.
Being in public also makes it easier for viewers (and bad actors) to find a creator’s exact location, and unfortunately, stalking and harassment are not unheard of. Big-name creators often hire their own security, but many others cannot. If a brand is involved in the stream, audiences will expect that brand to do its due diligence in preventing potential incidents.
To mitigate these situations, brands have navigated safety challenges by partnering with IRL streamers in strategic locations, often tied to major events like the World Cup and the Super Bowl, where filming rules are more transparent, security is on-site and brand representatives can easily intervene.
There are also technical challenges to confront. Lapses in Wi-Fi and cellular signal in real-world environments can lead to dropped streams, jeopardizing the reach and impact of a sponsored broadcast. Connectivity solutions are expensive, meaning a limited number of big-name creators can actually afford them. Fortunately, the industry is working to make IRL streaming tools more accessible to smaller-scale creators, which in turn opens up more opportunities for brands.
Authenticity at the core
Authenticity may be a perennial marketing buzzword, but the rise of IRL streaming has unearthed a new layer of what it means to be authentic. In a world where anything can be scripted, clipped out of context, modified and deepfaked, the spur-of-the-moment realness of IRL streaming is a powerful connective force.
It’s also a delicate one. Audiences have expectations for the content and flow of a stream. Creators have a unique engagement style and vision. A mismatched brand partnership can shatter goodwill with fans. Streamers seem like “sellouts” rather than using their platform to promote brands they genuinely believe in.
Unsurprisingly, brand fit has become a top priority for creators in choosing partnerships and sponsorships. Kai Cenat, another popular IRL streamer and the mind behind Streamer University, famously rejected a Met Gala invite because the brand that invited him wasn’t a fit.
Working with a streamer, or any popular creator, is an investment in credibility. Brands have to act as a creative partner, not a director. Embrace the power of spontaneity, and let them do their thing.
