How Much Did Shroud Really Make From Mixer?
Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek is one of the high-profile streamers who just found himself cut adrift after the sudden announcement of Mixer's closure. But don't feel too sorry for this guy, who became a dominant force on Twitch and followed fellow streamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins to the fledgling Microsoft platform in 2019. He's still estimated to be a multi-millionaire, and his exclusive deal with Mixer only added dollar signs to his bottom line.
Though Mixer is gone, Shroud had seemingly exited with plenty of maneuvering room to figure out where he'll land next. In a Twitter post from June 22 he said, "I appreciate the Mixer community and everything I've been able to do on the platform. I love you guys and am figuring out my next steps." Word has it that, like Ninja, he's already turned down a lucrative Facebook Gaming deal. Shroud is now a free agent, and is no doubt looking for his next opportunity.
Shroud's history with Mixer
Shroud, who is a Canadian living in California, had about 7 million followers on Twitch before he left — which made him the second most popular streamer on the platform. His fans watched him play games like Fortnite, Rainbox Six Siege, World of Warcraft, Apex Legends, and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG). Forbes estimates he made about $12.5 million in 2019 between Twitch, YouTube, and sponsorships from big-name brands.
In October 2019, Shroud announced he would be streaming exclusively on Mixer. Though the details of the deal were not made public, rumors suggest Microsoft agreed to pay Shroud a seven-figure salary. In February 2020, Shroud's Mixer followers hit the 1 million mark. Shroud and Ninja did help Mixer gain some market share, but they weren't able to save it from shuttering. Some believe that both he and Ninja also lost a lot of potential Twitch viewers by moving to Mixer.
Mixer may have paid Shroud millions of dollars
While many Mixer streamers may see dire financial effects from the closing, Shroud is unlikely to be one of them. According to a tweet from esports consultant Rod Breslau, Shroud will walk away from Mixer with a cool $10 million payout. Considering he was only with the service for about nine or so months, that's not a bad haul. He's now free to expand his YouTube presence or return to Twitch.
Assuming this figure is accurate, Shroud can also console himself with the fact that he and Ninja have helped Mixer revolutionize the streaming industry, increasing the value of industry celebrities in a way that will improve the prospects of many others. Today, the competitive streaming world resembles conventional professional sports in terms of the sheer amount of money it's willing to shell out for high-profile influencers. That's at least partly due to Mixer's determination to lure talented gamers like Ninja and Shroud into its fold.
Whatever happens now, it doesn't look like Shroud is going to be hurting for money anytime soon.