Every summer, Spanish Twitch streamer Ibai Llanos hosts a livestreamed boxing tournament called La Velada del Año (The Evening of the Year). In just four years, it has grown from a relatively small event featuring bouts from a few Spanish influencers into a huge global phenomenon with over 20 fighters and a host of musicians. Record Breaker This year’s event took place on July 13 and was watched by 5.9 million Twitch users. Packed An 80,000-seat stadium in Madrid.
The biggest name among the performers was Will Smith, who appeared as the headlining musician. Leading the crowd The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air TV show themeThough the Oscar winner was the first English-speaking performer in the event’s history, she wasn’t the most popular of the night, according to StreamsCharts data. Most viewed moments The stream, which set a record with 3.8 million concurrent viewers, also featured a boxing match between two influencers from Spain and Chile.
The event will be a perfect cross-section of what internet popularity will look like in 2024. First, there are boxing matches. One-on-one combat has been a promotional tactic for influencers for years, from controversial YouTuber-turned-MMA fighter Logan Paul to tech billionaires Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. I prepared seriously Before Zuckerberg played a cage match last year CancelledIn an era where cultural values are being defined Parasocial Stan Armyliving up to its name Intense, bitter rivalry There’s something hauntingly powerful about watching these celebrities literally punch each other, along with other fans.
Of course, in reality, these influencers and internet personalities understand that this isn’t a real competition. Ibaí regularly collaborates with other streamers around the world, combining their viewers and fanbases to boost engagement and increase visibility. On the same day as La Velada del Año, YouTuber MrBeast wrote:50 YouTubers compete for $1 millionThe video is made in MrBeast’s usual frenetic style, but the format itself is apparently inspired by Ibai Llanos’ tournament. Ibai himself is one of 50 YouTubers featured in the video, fending off backlash from fans of either streamer.
Designed for broadcast on Twitch, the competition is modeled after esports tournaments as well as UFC fights, and Ibay, who will host and commentate on the night’s matches, first found success on Spanish-language Twitch. League of Legends Announcer. He turned his streaming success into a media empire. Television talk shows And co-founder Kings LeagueThe soccer league optimized the game for streaming by adding video game-like rules such as power-ups. Huge industrybut they are beginning to become Popular with marketersThis suggests that events like La Velada del Año, which bring gaming culture into more traditional spaces, will become even more commonplace both on and off Twitch.
Twitch itself is in a strange and contradictory position. The streaming platform Overall decrease Over the past few years, the number of users and revenues have grown. There was no profit Since being acquired by Amazon in 2015, the site has Completely retreated Twitch is seeing more streamers than ever before from South Korea, which was one of its largest international markets. But at the same time, as livestream viewership grows, Twitch is seeing more streamers than ever before, especially in Spain. Huge market Not only can Twitch streamers stream to Spanish-speaking audiences around the world, Profitable European Marketing transaction.
