Stream Big: The Triumphs and Turmoils of Twitch and the Stars Behind the Screen

Told through the diverse and fascinating careers of nine streamers, this is the definitive story of Twitch and how the livestream platform revolutionized technology, entertainment, business, and pop culture.

With 2.5 million viewers at any given moment, the streaming platform Twitch is in the lead and often well beyond mainstream networks like CNN and Fox during primetime. On Twitch, the Amazon-owned tech behemoth, the biggest personalities, like Kai Cenat, Félix ＂xQc＂ Lengyel, and Hasan ＂HasanAbi＂ Piker, can earn millions per year by firing up their internet connection and going live.

Veteran technology and gaming journalist Nathan Grayson takes us inside the triumphs and tribulations of Twitch with exclusive access to its biggest content creators who helped make the platform into a billion-dollar global business. From Twitch’s early days of rapid growth to acquisition by Amazon to the defection of creators and rival platforms, Grayson makes the radical argument that many social technology companies are far more dependent on their creators than the creators are on their platforms.

Rivetingly told through nine exceptional Twitch creators whose on-screen personalities helped the company grow into a powerhouse, this is the explosive story of when entertainment meets the internet in the era of social and video content domination.

Nathan Grayson is a founder and reporter at Aftermath, a worker-owned tech, video game, and digital publication from veterans of sites like The Washington Post, Vice, and Kotaku. He has reported on the world of live streaming for half a decade and has conducted interviews with dozens of professional livestreamers. Stream Big is his first book. You can follow Nathan on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @Vahn16.