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Brime time: a look into the streaming industry's latest secret project

Brime time: a look into the streaming industry's latest secret project

Those with their ear to the digital ground will have seen a new name floating around the streaming space - and that name is Brime.

The name first popped up across social media just after Microsoft’s Mixer announced its closure. While the new company has a dedicated Twitter and is creating some buzz online - it’s yet to launch a site or unveil any solid information about who is involved behind the scenes.

Little is known about Brine so far but according to the Twitter account, it's a streaming platform “for gamers by gamers”. In another tweet - Brime states it will make an appearance towards the end of 2020. We also don’t know who is behind the company at this stage - but rumours of multiple gaming personalities being involved with the project remain strong.

Up for grabs

Two of the industry’s biggest streamers - Ninja and Shroud - are both free agents following the demise of Mixer. They have both reportedly turned down contracts with Facebook Gaming and their next steps are currently under speculation. It is presumed that the pair only really have Twitch or YouTube to choose from, unless they’re involved with a new venture such as Brime.

Brime also went public just after Twitch’s Dr Disrespect was unceremoniously banned from the platform on June 26th. The streamer tweeted that he was not aware of why Twitch had made the move but has been silent since. Brime tweeted that it “cannot confirm or deny the status of Dr Disrespect at this time” but also confirmed that they are not in negotiations with him at present.

The platform also confirmed that they are not backed by Google, Spotify or “anyone else that’s known by the industry”.

Brime also isn’t relying on the public draw of existing streaming personalities either - the Twitter account has racked up almost 90k followers in just a few weeks, and it also has a Discord server of over 12,000 members. Even in the Discord, the identities of moderators and key staff are hidden. The platform is also looking to allow community members to sign up for an alpha test this week. 

Is there space for a new competitor?

It's early days for Brime, and it could be a good while before we see a live, functioning site, or any support from key players within the streaming space. 

Historically, smaller streaming startups do not experience longevity alongside Twitch. This was seen with platforms such as Smashcast (formerly Hitbox), a platform set up to rival the purple giant in 2013. The company was later dissolved in 2017.

Another platform set up to take on Twitch is Caffeine. However, despite the draw of a handful of celebrity names - including Drake - the service has struggled to ride alongside the big four. Caffeine is also heavily backed by funding rounds fueled primarily by 21st Century Fox and Greylock Partners.

The platforms that have created real traction in the streaming space are ones that are backed by existing companies - i.e: Facebook Gaming and Mixer. Even then, Microsoft has retired Mixer less than four years after its launch.

But despite the unfortunate demise of platforms and the ongoing struggle of others to compete with the long-established video behemoths, the streaming industry has evolved. The sheer scale of the space has turned gaming creators into household brands, with Ninja as a prime example.

Ninja had grown beyond Twitch streamer and into a full-blown celebrity. He made TIME Magazine's top 100. When he ditched Twitch and headed to Mixer, he inspired a wave of growth on that platform. He has the power to bring hundreds of thousands of users to a new desination overnight.

There's every reason to believe that with the right personalities, streamers could take back the space that they crafted with a platform built by them, for them. For now, we'll have to wait and see what Brime has planned.


Editor

Danielle Partis is editor of PocketGamer.biz and former editor of InfluencerUpdate.biz. She was named Journalist of the Year at the MCV Women in Games Awards 2019, as well as in the MCV 30 under 30 2020. Prior to Steel Media, she wrote about music and games at Team Rock.