In today's digital landscape, streaming platforms have revolutionized how we consume entertainment, becoming an integral part of our daily lives. These sites have emerged as convenient and accessible alternatives to traditional media, offering an array of content we can stream instantly on demand.
Some of the biggest names in the industry today, like Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube have democratized content creation, empowering individuals to become creators and share their talents, expertise, and passions with global audiences. They have created new avenues for entertainment, fostering communities, and enabling content discovery through algorithms and user interactions. Additionally, streaming platforms have become lucrative opportunities for influencers, content creators, and brands to engage with audiences and reach new markets.
It's worth noting that the landscape of streaming platforms continues to evolve rapidly, with new platforms emerging and existing ones evolving their features and offerings. An example of the latter is Rumble, which has recently been in the news for bringing on board some massive names from the content creation industry.
What is Rumble?
Pavlovski started this site intending to provide a space for free speech and open expression. He sought to create a platform that would allow users to share their viewpoints and opinions without fear of censorship or suppression. This focus on free speech has been one of the distinguishing factors of Rumble compared to other video-sharing platforms.
In its early years, Rumble functioned as a traditional video-sharing platform, but it gained more attention and traction in 2020 and 2021. The platform attracted high-profile conservative voices and media organizations who were looking for alternatives to other platforms that they felt were censoring their content or limiting their reach.
The increased visibility and user base of the platform led to significant growth in its community and content library. As more users joined, it expanded its features and functionalities to provide creators with monetization options, including advertising revenue and other income streams.
One notable aspect of Rumble is its focus on allowing creators to monetize their content. Like other platforms, it provides broadcasters to earn revenue through advertising and other means. This incentive has attracted some creators who may have been dissatisfied with monetization options on other platforms.
Moreover, the live broadcasting website has been successful in attracting high-profile users, including prominent conservative voices and media organizations, which has contributed to its growing popularity among certain communities.
Who's streaming on Rumble?
One of the biggest recent scalps for Rumble was getting two of the biggest streamers to come together to start a new show. Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed debuted The Kai N' Speed Show exclusively on Rumble on May 26, with the channel notching 153K followers since.
It is a show that has brought together the most-watched YouTube Gaming and Twitch streamers in the US over the first quarter of 2023. And boy did it get off to a rollicking start, hitting 133K Peak Viewers in just under four hours of airtime.
There was also the live streaming of Power Slap Season 2, the official league for the world's premier slap-fighting promotion. It did some pretty good numbers, having racked up 101K followers in a short period, and the third season will also be distributed live by the Canadian platform.
Rumble also broadcast the Street League Skateboarding (SLS) Championship Tour, which boasts some of the world’s best skateboarders. Some of the popular names included Brazilian Olympic silver medalists Kelvin Hoefler and Rayssa Leal, with both capturing titles to kick off the 2023 season.
The third in the trifecta of sports leagues that Rumble has been busy broadcasting is Nitro Rallycross (NRX), hailed as the next generation of motorsports. The league, now renamed to nitrocross, features the biggest personalities on racing’s most aggressive and epic tracks, including former F1 and NASCAR Cup champions like Jenson Button, Kyle Busch, and Chase Elliot.
There was also the shock onboarding of Mizkif recently, with the Twitch megastar bolstering its gaming creator lineup. The founder and co-owner of OTK announced that he will be streaming twice a week on Rumble.
This was in addition to signing the likes of JiDion and Akademiks. The former — a famous comedic video creator known for his prank videos and comedy podcasts — will live stream exclusively on the site, creating viral videos for on-demand streaming. He noted:
“I want to take my content to the next level, and Rumble was the platform that will allow me to do that.”
RAP raconteur DJ Akademiks will live stream exclusively on the platform three to five days a week. He opined:
“I look forward to being one of the first to bring music and cultural conversations to a platform like Rumble. There have been many bad decisions at larger platforms where they haven’t put creators first, and they are disconnected from the community. I feel now is an inflection point for streaming platforms. I couldn’t be more excited to lead this effort on a platform that puts creators first.”
What's next for Rumble?
A few months back, it was Kick that was throwing the most punches in the streaming wars that was are getting pretty heated thanks to these new platforms popping up. Trainwreckstv had announced his move to the green site, with Adin Ross following soon after, leading many to believe it was the new worthy contender to Twitch and YouTube.
However, Kick has recently taken it slow when it comes to acquiring streamers, and that is where Rumble has taken advantage. With the decade-old site now looking to jump the queue and prove itself as the prodigal challenger, thanks in no small part to signing such prominent names and hitting some high numbers, it will be an interesting second half of 2023 in terms of who does how well.
