A unified directory of 174 players shaping the global live-streaming economy across the US, Europe, South Korea, Japan, China, and the Rest of World. Filter and sort by scale, region, value-chain role, genre, revenue stream, and ownership structure. Every figure carries a source verification badge (✔ Primary filing / official · △ Reported / estimated · ✘ Refuted).
While a news media map divides players by heritage (legacy print/broadcast vs. newsletter vs. social-native), nearly every live-streaming player is digital-native—making origin a meaningless axis. Instead, we classify entities by their position in the value chain. Where an entity straddles two roles (e.g., a top streamer who founded an agency), we assign one primary role plus secondary tags; toggling "Include secondary roles" surfaces both. And because monetization mechanics diverge sharply by geography (US subscriptions · Korean Star Balloons · Chinese live commerce · Japanese Super Chat tipping), revenue streams are broken out as an independent filter.
| # | Name | Region | Role | Tier | Headline Metric | Genre | Revenue Model | Verif. |
|---|
Click any row to expand ownership, founding year, revenue breakdown, financials, and strategic notes. The 53 entries marked "?" lack a verifiable headline figure in public disclosures. Tiers are approximations anchored to each entity's single primary metric.
Quarterly tracking from Streams Charts and Stream Hatchet (excludes domestic Chinese platforms). Tracked platform coverage varies slightly by quarter.
| Scope | Figure | Definition · Period | Verif. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global video streaming (Grand View; includes enterprise & OTT) | $87.5B (2024) → $345.0B (2030) | Broad definition · Cited via secondary reports | △ |
| Global gaming & live streaming watch time (Stream Hatchet) | 36.4B hrs (2025, +6% YoY) | Full-year · Highest since 2021 peak | △ |
| Global live commerce revenue (Statista) | $150.2B (2026) | Predominantly China · Cited via secondary reports | △ |
| China live commerce GMV | RMB 5T+ (2025) | Industry white paper · Cited via secondary reports | △ |
| Kuaishou e-commerce GMV | RMB 1,598.1B (+15.0% YoY) | FY2025 · Live + short video + shelf commerce | ✔ |
| TikTok Shop global GMV | ~$100B (2025) · US $15.8B | Live + short video + shop tab · Anonymous sources & Wiki | △ |
| Combined live revenue of 5 listed platforms | ~$8.1B (2025) | Kuaishou $5.43B + JOYY $1.53B + Huya $0.66B + SOOP platform ~$0.24B + DeNA $0.265B · FX-adjusted | △ |
| Kuaishou live streaming | RMB 39.1B (+5.5% YoY) | FY2025 filing | ✔ |
| JOYY live streaming (BIGO) | $1.53B · Total rev $2.12B | FY2025 filing | ✔ |
| Huya | Total RMB 6.50B (+7.0%) · Live RMB 4.59B (−3.2%) | FY2025 filing | ✔ |
| DouYu | Total RMB 3.82B (−10.6%) · Q4 Live RMB 513M (−29.8%) | FY2025 filing | ✔ |
| Hello Group (Momo / Tantan) | Total RMB 10.37B (−1.9%) · Overseas RMB 2.00B (+70.8%) | FY2025 filing | ✔ |
| SOOP (formerly AfreecaTV) | KRW 469.7B (+13.7%) · Ads KRW 131.9B (+61.4%) | FY2025 earnings release | ✔ |
| Cover · ANYCOLOR | JPY 49.33B (+13.7%) · JPY 55.68B (+29.9%) | FYE Mar 2026 & Apr 2026 · VTuber agencies (incl. merch) | △ |
| DeNA live streaming segment (Pococha · IRIAM) | JPY 39.79B (−1.9%) · Segment profit JPY 3.98B (turned profitable) | FYE Mar 2026 | △ |
| Revenue Stream | Benchmark Examples · Unit Economics | Trajectory |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Tipping · Gifts | YouTube Supers 70% · SOOP Star Balloon KRW 110 → KRW 60–80 net · TikTok nominal 50% · Facebook Stars $0.01 | → Plateauing (Kuaishou Q4 0% · Huya −3.2% · JOYY Q4 −6.6%) |
| Subscriptions · Memberships | Twitch $4.99 → $2.50 net · Kick 95% · SOOP up to KRW 42,500 | → Concentrating among top channels |
| Gifted Subscriptions | Kai Cenat 728,535 (2024) → 1,000,000 (Sep 2025) | ↑ Event-driven spikes |
| Platform Advertising | SOOP ads +61.4% · BIGO Ads +38.5% · Huya ads & game services +43.1% | ↑ Core platform growth engine |
| Brand Sponsorships · Integrations | IShowSpeed × Doritos · Kick × Sauber F1 & Everton FC | ↑ |
| Live Commerce Commissions · Slot Fees | With Hui (Dong Yuhui) GMV RMB 21B+ · TikTok Shop ~$100B | ↑ · China shifting to brand-operated streams (dianbo) |
| Creator-Owned Brands & Merch | Kai Cenat apparel brand Vivet (2026) | ↑ |
| Exclusivity Signing Deals · Minimum Guarantees | xQc–Kick $70M + $30M incentives (2023) · Ninja–Mixer (2019) | ↓ Peaked in 2023 · Non-exclusive multistreaming now standard |
| Hourly Creator Stipends · Production Grants | Kick KCIP ($3–$15/hr reported) · CHZZK Challenger up to KRW 30M/yr | ↑ Challenger platform acquisition tool |
| Sports & Event Media Rights | CazéTV 104 World Cup matches · Kick UFC · CHZZK World Cup 5.33M MAU | ↑ Primary audience growth driver |
| Tentpole Live Events · Ticketing | La Velada 9.19M peak CCV · Streamer University | ↑ |
| Character IP · Licensing & Goods | ANYCOLOR JPY 55.68B · Cover JPY 49.33B | ↑ · Inventory & physical fulfillment risk |
| Clip Syndication · Kirinuki Revenue Share | Japan Kirinuki 50/50 ad-rev splits · Korean VOD highlight channels ◇ | ↑ |
| Tiered Fan Club Memberships | Bilibili Captain (Jianzhang) tiers ◇ · CHZZK paid fan content | → |
| Pay-Per-View (PPV) Live | Facebook Paid Online Events | → |
| Paid Knowledge · Educational Live | China paid course streams (e.g., Li Yizhou AI courses) | → |
| Watch-Ad-to-Tip | CHZZK ad-supported viewer tipping | Newly introduced |
A $10 viewer tip leaves anywhere from 5% to 95% in the creator's pocket depending on the platform. Mobile app-store fees (Apple and Google's 30% cut) are often deducted before the split.
| Platform | Subscription Split | Tipping · Gift Split | Ad Split | Payout Threshold & Eligibility | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | Memberships 70% ◇ | Supers 70% ✔ | 55% ◇ | YPP · AdSense $100 minimum ◇ | Source |
| Twitch | 50% · Plus 60% (100 pts) · 70% (300 pts) | Bits $0.01 per Bit ◇ | 55% △ | $50 minimum payout ◇ | Source |
| Kick | 95% | Unverified | Hourly stipend (KCIP) | KCIP: 100 avg CCV · 50 hrs/mo · 1,500 followers | Source |
| TikTok LIVE | Unverified | Nominal ~50% · Effective 20–24% | — | Age 18+ · PayPal / bank withdrawal | Source |
| 0% fee (through Jan 2024) | Stars $0.01 per Star ✔ | — | 500 followers for 30 consecutive days | Source | |
| SOOP | Unverified | KRW 110 gross → KRW 60 / 70 / 80 net (by tier) | Unverified | — | Source |
| CHZZK | Unverified | Rookie 60% · Pro 70% · Challenger 70% · Partner 80% | Unverified | Challenger: 150 avg CCV · 180 hrs | Source |
| Bilibili | — | Base 50% + incentive bonus 20% (2022) | — | — | Source |
| Douyin | — | Individual 30–50% · Guild 40–55% △ | — | — | Source |
| Kuaishou | — | ~50% gross · 30–40% after tax △ | — | — | Source |
| 17LIVE · Pococha · Bigo | — | Public take-rate schedule unverified | — | — |
| Date | Transaction | Value | Strategic Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-08 | Amazon acquires Twitch | $970M cash | Closed after Google's $1B buyout talks fell through over antitrust concerns |
| 2016-08 | Microsoft acquires Beam (rebranded to Mixer) | Undisclosed | Signed Ninja & Shroud to exclusive deals in 2019 |
| 2020-06 | Microsoft shuts down Mixer (closed Jul 22) | — | Transitioned partner roster and viewers to Facebook Gaming |
| 2020-04 | Tencent becomes controlling shareholder of Huya | 50.1% voting power | Expanded to 95.4% voting power by 2025 |
| 2021-07 | SAMR blocks Huya–DouYu merger on antitrust grounds | Undisclosed ◇ | Originally announced Oct 2020 ◇ |
| 2022-03 | VShojo seed funding round | $11M | Shut down in Jul 2025 |
| 2022-12 | Kick launches | — | Backed by Stake co-founders · 95/5 subscription split |
| 2023-06 | xQc signs 2-year non-exclusive Kick deal | $70M base + $30M incentives | Followed by 7-figure Destiny deal, Amouranth signing |
| 2023-09 | TikTok Shop launches in the US | $15.8B US GMV in 2025 | ~$100B global GMV in 2025 |
| 2023-12 | Twitch announces South Korea exit (shut down Feb 27, 2024) | KRW 435M regulatory fine | Triggered two-way race between Naver CHZZK and SOOP |
| 2024-01 | Twitch expands Plus Program (60/40 · removes $100K cap on 70/30) | — | Coincided with 500-employee layoff (35% of staff) |
| 2024-01 | KOI + Movistar Riders merge into OverActive Media | Up to 21% equity stake | Backed by Ibai Llanos & Gerard Piqué |
| 2024-03 · 10 | AfreecaTV rebrands to SOOP | — | Corporate & domestic platform rebrand dates ◇ |
| 2025-07 | VShojo shuts down | ~$500K charity funds misappropriated | Triggered by Ironmouse departure and payment defaults |
| 2025-11 | LiveMode acquires 100% of CazéTV | Undisclosed | Secured 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches & UEFA Euro 2028 |
| 2026-11 (sched.) | CHZZK launches Challenger tier | Up to KRW 30M/yr support | Direct counter to SOOP's mid-tier Best BJ ecosystem |
| Person | Country | Role & Affiliation | Core Monetization | Defining Strategic Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Clancy | US | CEO, Twitch (Mar 2023–) | Subscriptions · Bits · Advertising | Plus Program 60/40 & cap removal · South Korea exit · 35% workforce reduction |
| Neal Mohan ◇ | US | CEO, YouTube | Advertising · Supers 70% · Memberships | Captured ~50% global live watch time · FIFA World Cup creator co-streaming |
| Ed Craven | Australia | Co-founder, Kick & Stake (50%) | 95% sub split · Signing deals · KCIP hourly pay | $100M xQc deal · Pledged ad-driven profitability within 1–3 years (2023) |
| Bijan Tehrani | Australia | Co-founder, Kick & Stake (50%) | Same as above | Sauber F1 title sponsorship · Everton FC sleeve sponsorship |
| Kai Cenat | US | Twitch Streamer | Gifted subs · Tentpole events · Apparel | 1M active subs milestone · Streamer University · Vivet apparel brand |
| IShowSpeed | US | YouTube Streamer (61.6M subs) | Brand sponsorships · Global tours | Country-by-country IRL tours · World Cup co-streaming · Closing ceremony performance |
| xQc | Canada | Kick & Twitch Streamer | Platform signing contracts | Headline $100M non-exclusive Kick contract |
| Ibai Llanos | Spain | Twitch · KOI · Kings League | Live events · Brand sponsorships | La Velada 9.19M peak CCV · Shifted to multi-platform simulcasting in 2026 |
| Casimiro Miguel | Brazil | Founder, CazéTV | Sports media rights + Ads & sponsorships | 104 World Cup matches · Sold remaining stake to LiveMode |
| Dong Yuhui (董宇辉) | China | Founder, With Hui / Yuhui Tongxing (Douyin) | Live commerce commissions | Spun out from East Buy · Generated RMB 21B+ annual GMV |
| Cheng Yixiao (程一笑) ◇ | China | CEO, Kuaishou | Virtual gifting + Commerce + Ads | RMB 39.1B live revenue · RMB 1.6T e-commerce GMV |
| David Xueling Li (李学凌) | China · Singapore | Co-founder, JOYY & Huya | Overseas live gifting + Ad tech | Sold Huya control to Tencent · Scaled BIGO Ads (+38.5% YoY) |
| Seo Soo-gil · Jung Chan-yong ◇ | South Korea | Leadership, SOOP | Star Balloons + Advertising | Rebranded AfreecaTV to SOOP · Grew ad revenue +61.4% YoY |
| Choi Soo-yeon ◇ | South Korea | CEO, Naver (CHZZK) | Cheese tipping + Ads + Media rights | Launched CHZZK as Twitch exited Korea · Introduced Challenger tier |
One flagship player per region that best illustrates the local monetization architecture.
© 2026 ainewground · Published by Abover Co., Ltd.