IShowSpeed, the prominent online personality Darren Jason Watkins Jr., recently dominated the livestreaming landscape by simultaneously securing the top viewership spot on both YouTube and Twitch. His recent broadcast, which featured a dramatic moment of him passing out on a roller coaster, garnered nearly 500,000 combined live viewers across the two platforms.
The achievement was highlighted by Dexerto, which reported, "IShowSpeed started multistreaming on YouTube and Twitch, and he just held the spot for #1 most viewed livestream on both platforms at the same time." The multi-platform stream peaked with over 437,000 viewers on YouTube and an additional 48,000 on Twitch, totaling approximately 485,000 concurrent viewers.
This milestone comes as Twitch has progressively eased its restrictions on simultaneous broadcasting, allowing creators like IShowSpeed to expand their reach. Despite a previous indefinite ban from Twitch, which was lifted in October 2023, Speed's return to the platform has been met with significant audience engagement. Even with a smaller Twitch audience compared to his massive YouTube following, his viewership there still surpasses the majority of other streamers.
The viral segment of the stream, where Speed passed out during a roller coaster ride at a theme park in Turkey, captured widespread attention and significantly contributed to the surge in viewership. Known for his high-energy antics, global travel vlogs, and in-real-life (IRL) content, IShowSpeed has consistently drawn large audiences. His ability to create such viral moments underscores his considerable influence in the digital entertainment sphere.
The 20-year-old Cincinnati native, who was named Streamer of the Year in 2024, continues to be one of the most popular and influential figures in online streaming. His recent success in multistreaming reflects a growing trend among top creators to leverage multiple platforms to connect with a broader and more diverse global audience.