Ludwig predicts many streamers will move from Twitch to YouTube

Olivia Richman Published 03/09/2021

Twitch streamer Ludwig Anders Ahgren made some interesting claims on his last episode of The Yard.

Benjamin “DrLupo” Lupo and Timothy “TimTheTatman” Betar left for YouTube earlier this week. Then FPS veteran Nicholas “NICKMERCS” Kolcheff hinted at a big deal coming up. And now, during the latest episode of his podcast, Ludwig hinted that even more Twitch streamers would be leaving the streaming platform for exclusive contracts over on YouTube Gaming.

“DrLupo just signed with YouTube exclusively, which, I will say, there’s going to be a bunch more people soon. I can’t leak,” Ludwig said.

According to Ludwig, this isn’t just an assumption or hunch. The popular streamer said he has some “secret info” that can’t be revealed. The information has led him to confidently state that “a lot of streamers are going to leave Twitch for YouTube.” The reason? Twitch has “zero good contracts.”

The streaming community isn’t too shocked by this possibility. DrLupo, CouRage, Valkyrae, and TimTheTatman are already on YouTube, as is Dr Disrespect, although he doesn’t currently have an exclusive contract. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see even more big-name content creators make the switch, especially if the contracts are as good as DrLupo, TimTheTatman, and NICKMERCS have alluded to.

In the past, streamers like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins and Michael “shroud” Grzesiek were easily persuaded to leave Twitch for exclusive contracts. Ninja himself recently stated that he likes that people are leaving Twitch so that the platform will have to fight harder to create better contracts for current streamers who may be tempted to leave.

Can you make money from YouTube Gaming?

YouTube Gaming has a number of different monetization tools available that can make gaming on YouTube as lucrative as it is on Twitch. That said, the kind of exclusive contracts that DrLupo and TimTheTatman are receiving won’t be available to everyone.

While some streamers have gotten multi-million-dollar contracts with Twitch and Mixer, only a handful of the most popular streamers will receive those sorts of exclusive contracts. Most content creators who don’t have an exclusive contract with one platform are best served by maintaining a presence on both YouTube and Twitch, with many enjoying success by live streaming on Twitch while posting highlights on YouTube..

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile

Read Also

Twitch

xQc Talks Subathons and Reveals Why He Avoids Them Khizar Mundia Félix “xQc” Lengyel is a major force in the streaming world, with his earnings being among the highest in the industry. However, despite this success, xQc has never done subathons — and the Kick streamer has revealed his reasons. Subathons have become an important element in the streaming world, as they are both engaging for viewers and beneficial for creators. Kai Cenat is arguably the most famous streamer who made ...

GTA

Rockstar Backs NoPixel V — What GTA 6 Means for GTA RP Khizar Mundia GTA 6 is about to release, and Rockstar has decided that it is the optimal time to announce that its collaborative GTA RP, NoPixel V, is about to enter closed beta. Roleplaying has been a major element in GTA, with several gaming streamers building their entire brand and community around it. NoPixel Studios is one of the most famous names in GTA RP, and NoPixel V is the newest version, ...

Twitch

QTCinderella Streamer Awards 2026 Key Changes: Creators Can Self-Apply and Kick Streamers Are Eligible Khizar Mundia Blaire “QTCinderella” has revealed multiple notable changes ahead of the upcoming  Streamer Awards 2026, with the key ones being that streamers don’t have to rely on the community to nominate them for an award, and Kick creators are also now eligible for the event. The Streamer Awards became a staple of the streaming space after the event’s 2022 inception. QTCinderella has hosted them annually, with several popular creators being awarded ...

Twitch

Kalshi Prediction Markets on iShowSpeed Hitting 100 Million YouTube Subscribers Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. is one of the most popular YouTubers in the world, and the next logical milestone for him is to reach 100 million subscribers. Kalshi is offering a popular prediction market on the matter, and traders are already speculating when he will hit the record number. 2026 has arguably been the best year for iShowSpeed, even though there are several months remaining for it to end. Speed ...

GTA

iShowSpeed and Kai Cenat Live-React to GTA 6 Netflix Extended Look Khizar Mundia For the upcoming GTA 6 release, it is fair to say that Rockstar Games has done things differently. Instead of the traditional gameplay trailer that we have come to expect, the developer instead utilized streaming platform Netflix for an extended look. What's more, some organic marketing fit for the 21st century took place at the same time, with several notable streamers, including Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr., reacting to the footage ...

Twitch

Kevin Hart Thinks Livestreaming Is the Future, Says Kai Cenat Does Super Bowl Numbers Khizar Mundia Hollywood actor and comedian Kevin Hart recently discussed the stratospheric popularity of content creators, comparing Kai Cenat’s livestreams to the Super Bowl in terms of viewership. Kai Cenat is unquestionably one of the biggest streamers in the world right now, and Hollywood actor Kevin Hart has used his viewership reach as an example of why livestreaming is a major opportunity for the young generation. James Dumoulin is a significantly popular ...

Twitch

Here’s What We Know About Kai Cenat’s Annual Mafia Stream Khizar Mundia Twitch star Kai Cenat has returned to full-time streaming with some of the most notable broadcasts of his career — and now he has announced that he will start an annual tradition of hosting a Mafia stream. Kai Cenat has shown no signs of slowing down since his return from his unexpected hiatus. The streamer hosted Streamer University 2026, competed in gaming marathons, announced that he wants to be the ...