Told through the diverse and fascinating careers of nine streamers, this book offers a timely and insightful dive into the players and politics of one of the twenty-first century’s most influential modes of media, examining how Twitch has revolutionized technology, entertainment, business, and pop culture.

With 2.5 million viewers at any given moment, the streaming platform Twitch leads the way and often outperforms mainstream networks like CNN and Fox during primetime. On Twitch, the Amazon-owned tech behemoth, the biggest personalities can earn millions per year by simply going live.

Veteran technology and gaming journalist Nathan Grayson captures the multitudes contained within Twitch while providing a captivating window into content creators’ lives, especially those who helped make the platform into a billion-dollar global business. From Twitch’s early days of rapid growth to acquisition by Amazon, Grayson explores the defection of creators and rival platforms, arguing that many social technology companies are more dependent on their creators than the creators are on their platforms.

Told through nine exceptional Twitch creators whose on-screen personalities contributed to the company's growth, this is the explosive story of when entertainment meets the internet in the era of social and video content domination.