With Mixer officially a thing of the past, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has started opening up regarding his difficulties with the streaming platform. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the streamer discussed his struggles to increase viewership, and how wife and manager Jessica Blevins even floated the idea of quitting streaming, altogether. Ninja is essentially a free agent following Mixer‘s demise, with some of the biggest streaming platforms reportedly competing for a chance to get him to sign exclusively. While Ninja seems to be in a great place now, it’s clear that wasn’t the case earlier this year, and he wanted things to work out with Mixer.
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“I wanted the platform to succeed so much,” Blevins told THR, “and I believed in it.”
Ninja’s signing was a major coup for Mixer last year. In a deal reportedly worth $30 million, Ninja was exclusive to the platform. With major names like Ninja and Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek, Mixer seemed poised to compete with Twitch in a major way. Unfortunately, Ninja could not attract a similar audience, despite putting in a considerable effort. According to the interview with THR, Ninja was not given a head’s up about the end of Mixer beforehand, though the relationship did end amicably.
As with the rest of Mixer’s partners, Ninja was reportedly offered a significant contract from Facebook Gaming, but chose to weigh his options, instead. The streamer did appear on a YouTube stream last month, leading many to assume that the platform could be Ninja’s next destination, but it seems that a final decision has not been made. Rumors have suggested that Ninja could make a decision by the end of the summer about where he’ll stream next. For now, it seems that Ninja is enjoying the temporary break from the world of streaming.
“I’m a lot more comfortable and relaxed knowing I don’t have to be live every single day,” Ninja told THR.
Regardless of where Ninja signs next, it appears that his brand remains quite strong. The streamer is looking to make steps beyond streaming, and towards additional projects. While the last year has clearly been difficult for Ninja, and his next destination seems uncertain, the future still looks bright.
Where do you want to see Ninja sign next? Were you surprised by Mixer’s struggles? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
