Amazon’s Twitch is leading a host of new booming niches and markets during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a robust esports job market that continues to grow, according to CNBC’s Bob Woods.
Despite the shutdown of major sports such as the NBA, NHL, and MLB, among others, who are all exploring ways to return in some capacity, streaming platforms have seen a marked increase in viewership during the shutdown by the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the struggling economy, jump in unemployment numbers, and soft re-openings of various businesses that introduces a new “normal” for the time being, the esports job market is staying strong.
And so are the monetization opportunities on Twitch, outside of Twitch streams.
“Yes, we are still hiring,” a Twitch spokesman said, per the report. The report goes on to highlight Twitch’s 23% surge in viewership during the month of March, along with more than 115 job listings in mid-May.
Mike Aragon, Twitch’s senior vice president of content and partnerships, spoke about the company’s recruiting efforts, that go beyond traditional online job postings.
“Wearing a purple T-shirt with the Twitch logo is a great way to target candidates to work for you,” Aragon said. “We also get a lot of in-bound [applicants] through our industry connections.”
But esports jobs, either with companies or with esports teams, are on the rise as well.
“You see a lot of mirroring of the traditional sports industry in terms of employment opportunities, but the roles have a twist on them,” Remer Rietkerk, head of esports at Newzoo, said. “You have a different set of challenges due to esports being digital and attracting a different audience.”
The article goes on to summarize how the world of streaming and esports have seen a meteoric rise, from viewership to job creation during the pandemic.
It goes beyond the online content provided by Hulu and Netflix. Now, YouTube, Twitch, Mixer, and even Facebook gaming are adding even more content options, which are being consumed at record rates.
For streamers, particularly on Twitch, the opportunity for monetizing Twitch channels and creating a brand, has never been more promising and viable.
And it doesn’t look like things will be changing anytime soon.
