Twitch: Chileans who stop studying and working to stream online

they never thought that they could to work from your home, in your computer player choosing your own hours and talk to large groups of people, watching them play Tic.

And it is that the traditional day of a Chilean consists of setting the alarm clock early, waking up, getting dressed and going to the bus and the metro, which are full of people who, like everyone there , start another working day. Some have empty stomachs and headaches because they haven’t had enough for lunch, while others have the same symptoms, but because they have to see a boss they don’t like again. .

They continue the journey until where they’ll be eight or nine hours straight to return later by the same route as in the morning, but in the opposite direction.

At least This is the path that Aníbal Narvaez, a 30-year-old man from Puente Alto, did daily and industrial civil engineer, who remained working in the same clinic where he did his university practice. A monotony of several years that changed with the arrival of the pandemic and which forced him to acquire a good computer.

-Hey, Did you know that with this computer you can stream? his younger brother, Nicolás, told him.

Hannibal had never thought of that. At that time, enclosed between four walls, live broadcasts on the Twitch platform were booming and many Chileans took advantage of becoming a business For lovers of video games, cooking or simply those who needed to talk to someone, even through a screen.

AND from that moment there was no turning back. He stopped riding the crowded buses and subways, and now he manages to eat breakfast every day, as he works playing games and talking to a camera and microphone from Monday to Friday, but on his own schedule.

Young Hannibal began to play Call of Duty: Warzone and post it online. It does so, to this day, under the name of small animal a nickname that tells The third was one of the few to call him by his “unusual name”.

—I started streaming for a few days, but it got bigger and bigger and I started obsessing. It was very attractive and cool, I liked it a lot, especially when hiding, you might start making some money out of it.

And it is that the platform of Twitch allows you to receive revenue by streaming live. You can play any video game, make art or even show off your bike rides or do the famous IRL (the English acronym for ‘In Real Life’) where the streamer just shares, talks to their community .

It’s this one the unique value that Twitch offers and that no other platform has: allows you to interact live with the person behind the camera, written in the chat that appears on the side of the screen.

—Ultimately, you have a person to interact with, and This is what differentiates it from television, as there is almost no interaction there. At some point during the day, you are helping someone who may be in a bad place. who wants to disconnect and who has someone to talk to,” explains Matías Vergara, better known as Dracul1nx For LT .

Matías is 28, but he’s been playing video games since he was 12 . He started broadcasting at the age of 22, where – just like Aníbal – he decided to give up everything for this modern way of working. Its content revolves around Call of Duty, Valorant And I’m just chatting. But He had to pass two university degrees before making the decision to start broadcasting his games live.

In 2021, Twitch had around 3 million Chilean users . Two years later, it is speculated that the figure may have increased, although the platform has not reposted this information.

However, according to the We Are Social 2023 analysis, in Chile, 29.6% of those who have access to the Internet, consume live streaming content and Twitch is the ninth highest spending app.

But is it profitable to be a Chilean streamer, broadcasting on Twitch?

-It varies greatly. There are months and months, but each subscription on Twitch costs 2,400 Chilean pesos and the platform keeps half of it . And, for my half (1200 CLP), taxes are deducted, so by subscription I get a little over 600 pesos explains Animal.

The streamer also says he sometimes does a so-called “expandable” dynamic, where each subscription or donation is added to a timer. So the more income you receive, the more time you have to spend playing online, sometimes exceeding two or three days in a row. SO, it is sustainable for him to be able to live with his partner in an apartment located in a municipality with a high quality of life and even include a dog in your home, named Athena.

Dracul1nx who has been with the company the longest, he was able to go freelance with his income from Twitch and make the big change of moving alone from La Serena to Santiago , because thanks to the popularity he gained on the platform, he was contacted by different brands to carry out campaigns. In this way, He has enough income to live well, in a central and well valued commune of the capital, and to devote himself to what he loves the most.

And it is that, like everything related to social networks, the level of earnings is closely linked to the number of subscriptions and followers. The latter because, in general, the same streamers become a kind of influencers, attractive figures for companies that want to promote their products or services.

Leaving everything, for Hannibal, means giving up the economic, health and retirement stability that, in a way, a traditional job with a contract can give you.

“It’s something I’ll see in the future, now I’m a bit off the rails with these issues, especially in health matters. Luckily so far I haven’t been sick or anything, but if anything bad were to happen it would be bad in every way – he was honest with LT, in between laughs nervous.

—Stopping studying is a risk, because studying can assure you something. I always recommend to those who ask me not to stop studying. But when I made the decision to dedicate myself to it, I had a downside and the certainty that I was on the right track, ”reveals Matías, who also says that he is not so worried about not appearing in an AFP , since he has other types of investments in mind.

But beyond basic concerns, the two agree that their new jobs, sharing with people, enjoying (but sometimes not so much) wins and losses in games, devoting themselves to what they love most and accompanying users who follow you day to day These are decisions you will not regret.

—Coming to the end of the day and seeing people’s messages makes your end of the day amazing. It’s mutual happiness of those who like your content and of you knowing that what you do makes them happy,” says Matías.

—Those positive comments that are starting to come your way is a great thing because for some reason you have connected with them because they can feel heard. In general, People on Twitch are looking for that, they’re looking for companionship. And there are thousands of streamers, but someone decides to watch you, comment, support and donate. It is a feeling of infinite grace. I had never felt this sensation for nothing. That’s when I know there’s no turning back Hannibal is honest.