• Following Mixer’s exclusive acquisition of Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, a new report shows that the number of unique channels on the platform has nearly doubled, but viewership has fallen.
• In contrast, Blevins’ former platform Twitch has gained viewership but seen a decrease in channels and number of hours streamed.
• Last week, Blevins’ wife and manager, said he made the decision to move to Mixer because his chatroom on Twitch became “toxic” and because Twitch’s contract with him would have limited his licensing deals. 

Mixer’s Growth Since Ninja Deal

A new report shows some of the contributions Ninja’s exclusive streaming deal with Mixer may have generated, including a major increase in the number of streamers and content on the platform, though overall views have decreased.

Ninja — whose real name is Tyler Blevins — joined the platform in August after leaving Twitch, a move that sent shockwaves through the gaming community, with many wondering how the switch would affect not only Blevins’ career but also Twitch and Mixer.

The report, published by Streamlabs and Newzoo, found that the number of unique channels on Mixer had doubled from 1.96 million in the second quarter to 3.92 million when Blevins joined in the third quarter.

Streamlabs attributed the massive gain to Blevins’s relocation to the platform, which it said likely encouraged other gamers to make a similar switch.

Because of the influx of new streamers, the number of hours users streamed on Mixer tripled from 11 million hours to just under 33 million.

Even though the number of streamers skyrocketed, Streamlabs actually reported that Mixer lost viewership in its third quarter, dropping from 100 million hours watched to 90 million hours watched. 

Since 2018, Mixer has consistently risen in viewership, with this quarter tracking the only dropoff within the past two years. Nonetheless, the yearly growth for Mixer has more than doubled. Experts have also noted the third quarter is usually the weakest part of the year for streaming platforms.

Metrics for Twitch and YouTube Gaming

Conversely, the Streamlabs report found that Twitch suffered the opposite problem: gaining viewership but losing streamers and content. 

Many have attributed Twitch’s loss of streamers in Q3 partially to those users moving to Mixer following its deal with Blevins; however, Twitch has been losing users for two quarters now. Since Q1, Twitch has actually lost about 2 million streamers and now sits below Mixer at 3.77 million users.

Twitch currently still dominates the streaming community, however, logging 2,551 million hours viewed for Q3.

Regarding users and hours streamed, YouTube Gaming has also seen a dropoff since Mixer’s acquisition of Blevins, but the number of hours viewed on the platform remained relatively unaffected between quarters. 

The Mixer-Ninja Deal

While the report indicates Blevins may not have had a substantial impact on bringing viewers to Mixer, it is unlikely his deal with the platform will change because of that. 

In an interview with Business Insider last week, Ninja’s wife and manager — Jessica Blevins — discussed why he decided to move to Mixer. She said part of his decision stemmed from toxicity in Blevins’ chatroom while streaming.

“I could tell, as his wife, the last few months on Twitch, he just didn’t seem like the Ninja that I knew,” she told the news agency, “He didn’t seem as enthusiastic, as loud, as hyped-up about wins and motivated to stream. It really seemed like he was kind of losing himself and his love for streaming.”

She also said they had tried to make a deal with Twitch but said they felt like they weren’t being listened to. She specifically pointed to the fact that Twitch’s contract would have limited Ninja’s licensing deals.

She then went on to say that Microsoft aligned with their ideals, calling it a warm and friendly environment. 

See what others are saying: (Dexerto) (Digital Trends) (The Esports Observer)

• YouTube creators and social media users are slamming the Dobre Brothers for their lack of enthusiasm during a fan meet and greet. 
• Critics noted that fans paid and waited months to meet the social media stars, only to be disappointed by their interaction with them.
• Lucas Dobre apologized in a tweet saying that the brothers had endured “a long 48 hours of restless filming and touring” without sleep.

Meet and Greet Video Goes Viral

Four social media personalities known as the Dobre Brothers faced heavy criticism online this week after a viral video showed a fan meet and greet that some called “awkward” and “uncomfortable.”

The video, which seemed to have originally been posted to TIkTok, was reshared on Twitter where it has been viewed millions of times. In it, a fan approaches Lucas, Marcus, Darius, and Cyrus Dobre, for her turn to meet and take a photo with them. However, when she walks over to the group, the fan is met with some pretty unenthusiastic attitudes. 

The brothers have a massive following online. On YouTube alone, the Dobre Brothers have 7.7 million subscribers, while Lucas and Marcus – The Dobre Twins– have over 17 million subscribers on their separate channel. 

The creators, known for their stunts, sibling pranks, and music, are currently on a 21-stop live tour. Internet users pointed out that meeting the brothers for photos is a perk featured in special packages that fans must pay extra for.

According to the group’s website, General Admission is $29.99. Admission plus a meet and greet goes for $75.99. The next tier, “All Access VIP + Admission,” is sold for $199.99. Finally, their highest and most expensive tier, “Dobre Army Ultimate Fan Experience,” costs $599.99. 

It is unclear at this time what package the fan in the video paid for, but it had to have been higher than the general admission price. 

Outrage

After seeing the video, many took to Twitter to slam the group for their attitudes. “The dobre brothers do no desrve to have fans [if] this is how they are going to treat them,” one user wrote. 

Defense

Despite the backlash, many have come to the groups’ defense and said that the brothers could have been having a long day.

“Yo we don’t know what’s really going on in this though. They could have been there for hours and hours and maybe they got some bad news just before,” one user wrote.

Yo we don’t know what’s really going on in this though. They could have been there for hours and hours and maybe they got some bad news just before. Like I really do NOT like the dobre brothers but I won’t judge them off this when I have no idea what’s ACTUALLY going on.

— Hayden Taylor (@Haydensvids) October 7, 2019

Another said, “they work extremely hard to make their fans happy and if u guys were in the same position as they are u will be twice as exhausted…”

Do not hate on them they work extremely hard to make their fans happy and if u guys were in the same position as they are u will be twice as exhausted than them u have no idea what’s like to have no sleep for full 48 hrs like even big celebrity’s are exhausted so plz don’t hate

— Maria (@Maria54059400) October 7, 2019

Apology

On Monday, Lucas Dobre apologized on the group’s behalf, writing, “After a long 48 hours of restless filming and touring then meeting thousands of fans with no sleep we were exhausted by the end of our show.”

The post was then retweeted by other members of the group. While some fans accepted the apology, others said the brothers should have canceled meet and greets if they were that tired. 

The brothers even saw comments and criticism from fellow internet stars. Beauty YouTuber James Charles, who has in the past been slammed for selling $500 tour tickets, tweeted, “what the actual fuck is this,” later adding, “Being tired is NOT an excuse to not smile and give a hug to people who pay to meet you.” 

YouTuber JC Caylen also tweeted “yo this is actually hella sad,” before noting that the fan probably waited months for this moment.

• As Saudi Arabia opens its doors to leisure tourism, it has promoted itself by giving several popular influencers all-expenses-paid trips to the country.
• Those influencers, who then posted Instagram advertisements of their trips, are facing backlash from online critics who say the posts were tone-deaf to Saudi Arabia’s human rights issues. 
• The campaign comes as Saudi Arabia continues to open up the country through tourism and major entertainment acts like BTS.

Influencer Ad Campaign

A group of Instagram influencers and some YouTubers are facing criticism after agreeing to a tourism-inspired ad campaign sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government.

The trips, gifted by Saudi Arabia’s tourism board and travel program called Gateway KSA, are part of a larger effort to open up tourism as the country seeks to lessen its dependence on oil. On Sept. 28, the kingdom began offering travel visas, allowing leisure travel. Historically, the Saudi government has limited access to business and religious travel. 

The influencers included Lana Rose, Tara Whiteman, and Alyssa Bossio, all of whom boast over a million followers on Instagram.

“When I was a kid, I used to watch Aladdin,” Lana Rose said in a sponsored post. “Never did I think I could live it too 😍 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦”

Rose then ended her post with the hashtag #WelcomeToArabia and linked to the account VisitSaudi.

Many of the influencers posted photos from a site known as the “Edge of the World,”  a dramatic series of cliffs overlooking the desert. 

“For all the flat earthers out there, we found the edge of the world! Turns out it’s in Saudi Arabia,” Whiteman said. “Feeling so lucky to be a part of this exciting event, as Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists for the first time. This beautiful country has so much to offer. I’m so grateful to be here and to see what’s to come.”

Like Rose, she also tagged the post #WelcomeToArabia and linked to the country’s tourism account; Whiteman also directly tagged the content as an ad.

New York-based Bossio praised the country while addressing its plans to advertise itself as a tourist destination.

“One of my goals for this year was to learn, experience and be open minded about other countries and cultures,” she said. “Every place has such a unique story. Saudi Arabia is opening to tourists from across the world for the first time. There is a lot changing within the country. The hospitality, warmth and vibrant culture has made me appreciate this country and all of its beauty. I was not sure what to expect traveling here, but being here has brought me a new sincere appreciation for this place! 🐫 #WelcomeToArabia”

Other major YouTubers like Caspar Lee and Daniel Supertramp also joined the campaign, Supertramp saying he felt like Indiana Jones after exploring ancient tombs with locals.

Reportedly, Gateway KSA said the influencers can post whatever they want about their trip; however, they were also reportedly not allowed to deviate from their approved itineraries.

Online Response

While the posts seemed to be an ad campaign aimed at promoting the culture and the natural beauty of the country, many Instagram users were quick to paint a very different story of Saudi Arabia.

Writing in the comments section, those users referred to the April execution of 37 people the Saudi government claimed to be terrorists, though most were reported to be of the Shiite minority. 

“Life is not a fairy tale,” one user wrote. “The Saudi government executed 37 people in a single day in April. It systematically brutalizes its own people; needless to say it has a horrible record regarding basic human rights. I will never visit it. Shame on you for normalizing them.”

Another travel blogger by the name of Travellingjezebel wrote, “While the biggest travel bloggers & influencers in the industry are taking money from the Saudi government to showcase the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a good light, let us take a moment to remember how SAUDI bloggers are treated.” 

She then discusses Raif Badawi, a Saudi writer sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for talking about religious freedom and women’s rights.

“For a blogger to take money from a government that locks up and tortures its own bloggers and journalists (Raif is not the only one by a long way), it is shameful,” she continues. “Just remember people like Raif when you see these influencers’ glamorous pictures. #welcometoarabia”

Several other users, however, noted the situation in Saudi Arabia but continued to support the influencers associated with the campaign.

Some, including other influencers, then expressed their interest in visiting. 

Saudi Arabia Relaxes Travel Visas

The new visa program will allow women to now travel alone without restrictions. Female tourists will also no longer be required to wear all black dress robes called abayas.

All of this is part of a massive change as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s opens Saudi Arabia to previously-banned types of industry and entertainment. Notably, that includes scheduling major acts like Nicki Minaj, BTS, and Mariah Carey.

Minaj, however, later canceled her concert because of backlash because fans were quick to point out Saudi Arabia’s negative track record with women and the LGBTQ community. They also pointed to the death of Jamal Khashoggi, where the CIA concluded his death was a hit by MBS.

Similarly, BTS has now faced some criticism and backlash over their upcoming Oct. 11 performance, with rapper RM saying the decision was not easy to make.

“If there’s a place where people want to see us, we’ll go there,” Jimin said. “That’s really how we feel.”

See what others are saying: (New York Times) (The Guardian) (Bloomberg)