While people working at mainstream jobs do not take professional gamers seriously, pro gamers can actually make serious money, and this is why many video game players start wondering how could they make money using their hobby.
Professional gamers dedicate their time to full-time video game playing and participating in tournaments to secure prizes, but winning a tournament to get a prize that would cover all the effort and all the expenses is not that easy. This is why it is better to consider other options.
But it is important to understand that gamers who play to get paid don’t do it quietly by themselves. They create communities on social media and relevant platforms, create fanbases, make live streams, and basically act like performers of some kind.
These players earn income through sponsorships or advertisements during their gaming sessions, and some collaborate with fellow players as part of a team, adding an additional revenue stream. However, donations, ads, and sponsorships only work if gamers have an audience.
In contrast to those in the gaming industry, such as designers or game testers, professional gamers channel their focus into gameplay rather than game creation. They put in extensive hours studying and practicing their game of choice until they master it well enough to make their streams exciting, fun to watch, basically content others crave. They can also choose to compete in tournaments and also make money this way.
While video gaming for money is not the same as no deposit casinos in Canada, viewers can follow their teams during big national or international tournaments.
In this post, we explain several ways of making money as a professional gamer playing video games and streaming the gaming sessions.
Streaming Service Subscriptions from Followers
One of the most obvious and convenient ways of making money as a pro gamer is to have subscribers to streaming services. Fans of the gamer’s streams subscribe for the streaming platform particularly to watch content by a particular user, and pay, let’s say, $5 a month. Part of the money goes to the platform and part of the money goes to the streamer.
The sum is not impressive but if the streamer has 100 followers, the total sum per month is already $500, and so on. By paying for a subscription, the viewers actually want to support their favorite content creators and ensure that they get their favorite content on time and for adequate money.
Gamers can create a range of subscriptions, from the cheapest for regular content on the platform to higher tiers for exclusive or unique content. It is not uncommon for quite average gamers to get up to $1000 per month due to smartly organized subscriptions. However, this is only possible for players with the talent of a performer where even bad gaming can be streamed as fun content, and of course, a big audience is necessary.
Regular Donations from Fans
Some streamers may choose to either ask for donations in addition to their subscription-based income or only rely on donations from their viewers when streaming.
While it may seem weird for non-playing folks, passionate gamers and game fans are ready to support their favorite content creators with donations during the stream rather than committing to a monthly fee. When a streamer plays a game and the content is truly entertaining and satisfying, the one-time donations can range from $5 to $100 while the number of people donating depends on the audience size and engagement.
Usually, beginner gamers do not risk their income if they are unsure if anyone is going to donate willingly so they prefer to rely on more predictable income sources. On the other hand, donations are a form of feedback about the gaming session and gamers can enhance their content depending on the audience’s reaction.
Advertising on Streaming Platforms
If the gamer’s videos are popular, platforms like YouTube and Twitch incorporate random advertisements into the gamer’s videos breaking the stream and showcasing products from various companies. Streamers cannot influence this even if this is annoying for the audience and in fact, streamers make more money from videos that contain such ads. The more people see the video and the ads in it, the more money is paid to the content creator.
Of course, people may choose to pay for a premium subscription to the platform and avoid those ads. But for gamers, ads are income, because their popular videos continue to generate revenue even months after being published. On average, it is possible to earn $300 per video if two people a day watch it.
Advertising from Sponsors
To make their incomes bigger, more predictable, and independent from the streaming platforms’ rules and policy changes, many video game streamers choose to look for sponsors to promote their products and services instead of ads incorporated automatically by platforms.
This advertisement type is better for all (except the streaming platforms) – the content creators, their viewers, and the companies that buy ads. Smart gamers add promotion of the company, product, or service in their content, either in a passive manner (like wearing a branded T-shirt) or in an active manner, actually speaking of the product or service.
Most of the time, products or services promoted this way are more relevant for the audience compared to the incorporated ads that are just random (like on TV). Therefore, the chances are higher that someone buys, and the company promoted will get a customer. Video game streamers who have sponsors can negotiate their fees and generally have more control over what they earn.
