YouTube Signs Three Gamers To Exclusive Streaming Deals

YouTube has "signed three big-time influencers in gaming to become exclusive to the largest video platform in the world," according Gene Park of the WASHINGTON POST. Lannan "LazarBeam" Eacott, Elliott "Muselk" Watkins and Rachell "Valkyrae" Hofstetter together "boast 21 million YouTube subscribers." Although they play "many other games, all three are prominent Fortnite creators." Eacott and Watkins' contracts were "brokered through talent agencies WME," while Hofstetter's was "brokered by UTA." The move is yet another in an "ongoing talent bidding war, primarily between YouTube, Mixer, Facebook and Twitch." Mixer kicked off the trend by "signing on streaming's biggest personality, Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins." Streaming platform StreamElements CEO Doron Nir said that the continued signing of popular personalities "signals that when it comes to platform features, content is now taking precedence" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/14).

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