The streamer in question here is Jack Dunlop, better known to online audiences as CouRageJD. Co-owner of 100 Thieves and longtime streamer, CouRage was the first major name to sign with YouTube Gaming in 2019 as the video platform looked to increase its own footprint in the streaming space. At the time, CouRage voiced his excitement about moving to YouTube for the stability it will provide him as a content creator along with the flexibility to provide more content outside of gaming.
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CouRage’s decision appears to have paid off as the streamer has confirmed on Twitter he will remain with YouTube Gaming for the foreseeable future. He said signing with YouTube in 2019 was one of “the best decisions” he ever made and was excited to see the platform grow by signing streamers DrLupo, TimTheTatman, and fellow 100 Thieve co-owner Valkyrae. He added he was excited to be able providing more content beyond gaming between his livestreams, two dedicated YouTube channels, and his new YouTube Shorts channel.
CouRageJD did not say how long the new deal with YouTube was, though it would not be surprising if it was a longer-term deal than his first two-year deal.
The news is the first of what is likely to be a tidal wave of announcements from multiple streamers whose contracts are either about to or have already expired. The aforementioned Valkyrae has mentioned multiple times on stream recently her deal with YouTube ends shortly in January 2022 and is teasing viewers about whether or not she will remain on YouTube. Disguised Toast, on the other hand, announced his two-year contract with Facebook Gaming came to an end and has teased a move back to Twitch for the time being.
It also highlights the impact streaming has had on the entertainment world over the last few years for such announcements to draw this level of attention. Brand deals and sponsorships with companies like State Farm and Verizon seemed like a pipedream when Twitch launched in 2011, but is now the norm with names like CouRageJD, DrLupo, Valkyrae, Pokimane, Ludwig, and more promoting these brands to benefit both themselves and their host platform. So long as streaming continues to grow and provide a unique avenue of promotion, this will remain the case and potentially intensify the race to lock down these names.
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