iShowSpeed Livestreams Apple Keynote and Meets New CEO John Ternus
Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. became one of the first non-tech streamers to livestream an Apple event, appearing alongside the company’s CEO at the keynote despite initial speculation from fans that he was using a green screen instead of physically being there.
Speed has consistently blurred the lines between a streamer and mainstream celebrity in 2026. He collaborated with FIFA on a game and then performed at the World Cup closing ceremony. The streamer broadcast a gaming marathon with Kai Cenat and was also on Forbes’ Top Creators list. Now, iShowSpeed has achieved another major milestone by livestreaming Apple’s latest event, where the company unveiled the latest iPhone 18 series, including its first foldable phone.
Apple gave iShowSpeed unprecedented access
Speed started off the livestream in his typically comedic fashion by imitating Apple CEO John Ternus and acting like he was presenting the keynote alongside the new boss, who was appointed on September 1.
Fans started speculating that the streamer wasn’t at the event at all. This led to Speed stopping the VFX to show his viewers that he really was at Apple Park and was using a green screen to make the Keynote appear behind him, as he live-reacted.
The subsequent part of the stream then led to Ternus unveiling the iPhone 18 series, revealing that there is no iPhone 18 base variant, with only iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max being made. Speed appeared shocked by each new feature and upgrade the CEO announced. This included a hilarious quip, where Speed remarked on the iPhone’s cooling system by saying they have a refrigerator inside the phone. The AirPods 5’s live translate feature was likely what Speed was most excited about, and that may be because of the potential use on his global IRL tours.
One thing that the streamer appeared to be visibly shocked by was the price of the new iPhone Duo. Speed’s face visibly changed when the steep $1,999 price tag was displayed on screen, even though he said the “phone is OP”. The Keynote ended shortly after the foldable phone was unveiled, and Speed then headed to where the main event was taking place, and he got to see the iPhone Duo up close. The streamer started to take pictures of the phone, copying the other journalists and attendees, as nobody was allowed to touch the iPhone Duo.
iShowSpeed then met Apple’s new CEO John Ternus, who gave the streamer his iPhone Duo, which Speed used to take a selfie of the two. The streamer called the device “amazing,” asked for one, and even barked. Speed then became the first person in the world to do a backflip next to Apple’s CEO, while holding the iPhone Duo. He then tried to sneak away with the phone and jokingly asked Ternus whether he wanted the phone back. Apple’s CEO replied, “Yeah, nice try.”
The rest of the stream consisted of Speed meeting other celebrities, such as Kid Cudi, DeAndre Jordan, Guillermo Ochoa, Mike Dean, and Marques Brownlee. iShowSpeed ended his Apple livestream near a green tree by saying his code word, “green apples.”
☑️ My take: This is the pinnacle of iShowSpeed’s packed year
The 2026 FIFA World Cup wasn’t just a major tour for Speed this year, but something that he has been working towards his entire career. However, he has not rested on his laurels — Speed recently purchased a multimillion-dollar warehouse apparently for the production of his IRL content, and his Apple keynote appearance is arguably his biggest achievement yet..
Even though there were other non-tech celebrities there, Speed was still the only mainstream streamer physically present at the event. He was also given a room for his production setup and met Apple’s new CEO. Marques Brownlee was at Apple’s keynote, but Speed’s livestream showed he got more access than the others.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that global brands are seeing the wide appeal of Speed, as even KFC has partnered with the streamer. Speed will likely continue to be seen in more of the mainstream space, as the streamer heads towards his goal of 100 million YouTube subscribers.
Image credit: iShowSpeed
Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.
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