LeBron James has expressed his interested in streaming his Madden games, but where will the NBA star stream? Kick, Twitch, or YouTube?
Four time NBA Champion LeBron James is interesting in streaming, and both Twitch and Kick want him on the platform. Currently star player for the LA Lakers, and regarded by many as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, James sparked quick replies from both Twitch and Kick representatives when he asked on Dec. 29 who he should steam with.
It a post on Twitter/X, LeBron asked about his options for streaming Madden NFL:
“Thinking of live streaming my @EAMaddenNFL games when I play. 🤔. Who should I stream with? Meaning which platform brand 👑”
Kick co-founder Tyler “Trainwrecks” Farax Niknam and Kick representative Adin Ross were quick to chime in. “Stream with us (@KickStreaming) 🐐” said Trainwrecks, while Ross also chimed in: “Come to kick. I’ll get u a bag my glorious king.”
Twitch CEO Daniel Clancy wasn’t going to let Kick get the only chance at a sales pitch as, albeit with a more balanced take:
“I am a bit biased given that I run Twitch but Twitch is the best platform for engaging with your fans. You also could consider streaming on Twitch and YouTube at the same time”
However, money and engagement might not be the only things LeBron considers when thinking about a streaming platform.
Where could LeBron stream?
As Clancy, Trainwrecks, and Ross outlined, the primary options for streaming at the moment are Twitch, YouTube and Kick. However, LeBron might have other considerations when it comes to streaming platform, rather than just who offers him the best split and engagement opportunities.
For instance, LeBron, a 19-time NBA All-Star (On track for 20), has a cavalcade of endorsements and sponsorships, from Nike, to McDonald’s, Samsung, Verizon, and more, who may have stipulations about the media he appears in.
Another huge consideration for LeBron, and indeed any NBA star that looked into streaming, would be the brand risks associated with each platform. Twitch is currently going through a spate of controversy over its handling of nudity and censorship of artistic depictions of nudity. Kick has its own bugbears with its heavy association with gambling and limited copyright protections and moderation.
Gambling is particularly a sticky subject for the NBA, with players under strict rules about how and when they can gamble. The NBA recently cracked down on player gambling, and LeBron talked about his thoughts on sports gambling in an interview with Lakers Nation earlier this month.
With this consideration, it seems YouTube might be the best option for LeBron due to its stricter protections. However, no streaming option is without issue, and LeBron (who celebrates his 39th birthday today) may rethink his ideas on streaming before the year is out.
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