How much did top Twitch streamers make in 2020? NICKMERCS, xQc, more

Virginia Glaze

While 2020 has been an especially difficult year for just about everyone, Twitch streaming has become nothing short of a booming business, with quarantined viewers turning to their technology for entertainment — leading to some jaw-dropping revenue for broadcasters, in the process.

While it’s no secret that some of Twitch’s top personalities are raking in obscene amounts of dough, there have been some major changes on the platform in the past year, with names like Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins and Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek returning to the site after signing to Mixer in 2019.

Taking multi-million dollar buyouts each, it stands to reason that some longtime Twitch viewers would expect these two returning streamers to be at the top of 2020’s highest-paid list — but that is not the case, with some other names taking the title of Twitch’s top earners.

A report from SavingSpot shows that the highest-earning streamers of 2020 are as follows:

#1 – xQc, $1,984,000

It comes as little surprise that Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel, Overwatch pro and longtime Twitch star, ranks at the top of Twitch’s highest-paid list. According to SavingSpot, Lengyel’s nearly $2 million income this year can be attributed to his “high viewership numbers and ad revenue” — and if his infamous “Among Us” streams with other broadcasters are anything to go by, that’s nothing to sniff at.

SavingSpot Twitch earnings graphic.
SavingSpot’s 2020 Twitch earnings report found some surprising results for the site’s highest paid streamers.

#2 – NICKMERCS, $1,737,535

Nick ‘NICKMERCS’ Kolcheff is another huge name on Twitch, who came in at second place in SavingSpot’s highest-paid list. Hailing from Grand Rapids, USA, NICKMERCS is a seriously popular broadcaster, best known for his Fortnite and Call of Duty gameplay. Considering he’s got over 4.5 million followers on Twitch, it makes sense he’d be one of the site’s highest-paid streamers.

#3 – Ibai, $1,373,605

Not all of Twitch’s top earners are Americans; in fact, the site’s third-highest paid streamer hails from Barcelona, Spain, and boasts well over 3.5 million followers for his gaming content. Raking in over $1.3 million, Ibai’s earnings just go to show that Twitch allows talent from all over the world to shine and find an audience.

SavingSpot geographical map showing Twitch's top earners by location.
Regions like Spain and Brazil have turned out a large number of popular streamers, according to this graphic from SavingSpot.

Other top earners for the site include:

#4 – Odablock, $1,298,619
#5 – TimTheTatman, $1,210,739
#6 – AuronPlay, $1,209,556
#7 – TheRealKnossi, $1,068,310
#8 – HasanAbi, $1,062,826
#9 – RonnieRadkeOfficial, $971,978
#10 – Castro_1021, $966,387

What do you think of SavingSpot’s 2020 list? Were there any names that surprised you? Who do you think will come out on top next year? Let us know on Twitter @Dexerto and stay tuned to keep up with more Twitch news!

About The Author

Virginia is Dexerto's Entertainment Editor and an expert in all things TikTok, YouTube, and influencer-related. Boasting a background in esports, she's been tackling the social media space for over five years. You can reach Virginia at: virginia.glaze@dexerto.com.