Mixer
Mixer was a Microsoft-owned live video game streaming platform (2016–2020) that competed with Twitch by recruiting top streamers. It ceased operations in 2020 when Microsoft sold its streaming assets to Facebook Gaming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Mixer does
Mixer was a live video game streaming platform that operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation from 2016 until its shutdown in July 2020. Originally launched as Beam in 2014, the platform was rebranded to Mixer in 2016 and positioned as a direct competitor to Amazon's Twitch and Google's YouTube Gaming. The service enabled video game streamers to broadcast gameplay content live to audiences via web browsers, mobile applications, and gaming console integrations, with core features including interactive chat, channel following, and viewer engagement tools.
The platform's revenue model relied on advertising and recurring subscription revenue (notably through the Mixer Pro tier), with secondary potential income from virtual goods or digital tipping mechanisms. Mixer's go-to-market strategy was community-led but executed in a top-down fashion, targeting the acquisition of high-profile streamers from competing platforms — most notably signing Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins for an estimated $20-30 million in 2019. The platform served two primary customer segments: content creators (gamers and video game streamers seeking monetization opportunities) and end-viewer consumers (users watching live gaming content and engaging with streamer communities).
Microsoft announced Mixer's shutdown in June 2020 and sold its streaming assets to Facebook Gaming, with the platform ceasing operations the following month. The closure underscored the difficulty of building network effects in live streaming when competing against an entrenched incumbent like Twitch, particularly given academic evidence that streamer audiences do not migrate with talent at scale.
Mixer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mixer
- Website
- https://mixer.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Mixer was a Microsoft-owned live video game streaming platform (2016–2020) that competed with Twitch by recruiting top streamers. It ceased operations in 2020 when Microsoft sold its streaming assets to Facebook Gaming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mixer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Game Streaming Platform
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gaming-Focused Live Streaming Platforms (MPACACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Creator & Streamer Platforms (Live & VOD for Game Content) (MPAFAEAA), Community & Audience Engagement Tools (Chat, Moderation, Loyalty, Discord Bots) (MPAFAEAH)
Keywords
Where Mixer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Mixer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Streaming Platform Revenue: As a live streaming platform, Mixer generated revenue through advertising, subscriptions (such as Mixer Pro), and potentially virtual goods or bits. The platform was owned by Microsoft and competed with Twitch and YouTube Gaming.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Mixer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mixer was a live video game streaming platform that allowed gamers to broadcast their gameplay in real time to online audiences. The platform offered interactive chat, channel following, and viewer engagement tools aimed at streamers and their communities, competing with Twitch and YouTube Gaming before being shut down in 2020.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mixer Microsoft's live video game streaming platform that enabled streamers to broadcast gameplay content to audiences in real time, with interactive chat, channel following, and viewer engagement features. Targeted at gamers, content creators, and viewers.
Companies that use Mixer
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Mixer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Mixer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Tyler 'Ninja' BlevinscoreNinja was the most high-profile talent acquisition by Mixer, signing for approximately $20-30 million in 2019. This was part of Mixer's strategy to poach top streamers from Twitch. Ninja's move was expected to bring his massive following to the platform, but research indicates individual streamers do not generate communities loyal enough to migrate with them.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Mixer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Facebook Gaming: Meta's game streaming platform that ultimately acquired Mixer's streaming assets when Microsoft shut the platform down, making it a direct successor in market positioning.
- Trovo: Tencent-backed game live streaming platform that emerged in the same period as Mixer, pursuing a similar strategy of recruiting streamers from Twitch with cash incentives.
- Twitch: Amazon-owned game streaming incumbent and Mixer's primary competitor. Mixer explicitly targeted Twitch's top streamers, making it the most direct comparable in product, audience, and business model.
- YouTube Gaming: Google's game-focused live streaming offering, directly competing with Mixer for both streamers and viewers in the gaming content vertical.
Emerging players
- Caffeine: Social broadcasting platform with a focus on gaming and entertainment, positioned as a smaller alternative to Twitch with interactive audience features similar to Mixer's value proposition.
- Kick: Game streaming platform that emerged after Mixer's shutdown, using aggressive creator-economics (high revenue share) to compete with Twitch, comparable to Mixer's capital-intensive streamer acquisition approach.
- DLive: Blockchain-incentivized game streaming platform targeting creators with alternative monetization, overlapping with Mixer's audience of streamers seeking better revenue terms than Twitch.
Broad incumbents
- Discord: Community platform widely used by gamers and streamers for audience engagement, offering overlapping capabilities to Mixer's interactive chat and community features even though its core product is communication rather than broadcasting.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Mixer social profiles
Digital presenceMixer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mixer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Mixer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mixer M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mixer
What does Mixer do?
Mixer was a live video game streaming platform that allowed gamers to broadcast their gameplay in real time to online audiences. The platform offered interactive chat, channel following, and viewer engagement tools aimed at streamers and their communities, competing with Twitch and YouTube Gaming before being shut down in 2020.
Is Mixer a public or private company?
Mixer is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently closed.
When was Mixer founded?
Mixer was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mixer based?
Mixer is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mixer make money?
One revenue line is on record: streaming Platform Revenue.
Who are Mixer's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Facebook Gaming, Trovo, Twitch and YouTube Gaming. Emerging players are Caffeine, Kick and DLive. Discord is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Mixer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mixer.
What industry is Mixer in?
Mixer's product category is Live Game Streaming Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACACAB, Gaming-Focused Live Streaming Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAFAEAA, Creator & Streamer Platforms (Live & VOD for Game Content). Its NAICS code is 5162 and its SIC code is 7822.