How does Ninja make money? Understanding the gaming superstar’s net worth

When you think of superstars in gaming that have helped bring the industry into the mainstream, Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins will likely be the first people that comes to mind. His meteoric rise following his retirement from competitive play has undoubtedly served him well.

His experience in esports helped to position himself well in Fortnite when the battle royale title initially rose to mainstream prominence, which effectively saw his stream and videos grow in popularity alongside the game.

He was grinding games such as H1Z1 and PUBG prior, but Epic Games’ seminal title truly was the catalyst for his following success. From playing with Drake and Travis Scott to getting his own collaborative products with adidas, Ninja has plenty on the go — he’s made plenty of money in the process, too.

While it’s difficult to know exact financial details for creators, some give ballpark figures when speaking to press and truly demonstrate the power of social media and the gaming industry. Let’s break down everything we know about how Ninja makes money and his net worth.

What is Ninja’s net worth?

Without a look at Ninja’s accounting it’s impossible to know just how much he’s grossed over his tenured career in gaming and esports, but there are estimates online based on his many activities. It helps that he revealed he earned “a lot more” than $500,000 per month in 2018, totalling almost $10m throughout the year.

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Since then, however, he’s entered lucrative deals that will have massively bolstered his fortune. Regardless of the source used, the most common estimate of Ninja’s net worth is $25m as of 2021.

How Ninja makes money

Streaming and videos

Content is everything for Ninja, not only in terms of revenue generation but also in overall exposure that helps him secure brand deals, and that is reflected in his income. He currently streams on Amazon’s Twitch platform, raking in money from advertisements, paid subscriptions, and donations.

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The real wealth he earns from streaming is through exclusive deals. It was a big deal when he moved from Twitch to Mixer in late 2019, a move that reportedly would have netted him over $40m during a three-to-five-year stint. He famously returned to Twitch in August 2020 following a bidding war between Amazon and Google.

He’s slowed down on the YouTube front in recent months but still benefits from the typical money-making feature of the Google-owned platform, advertising revenue on his videos.

Brand deals, Ninja merchandise, and other ventures

As with many top content creators, brand deals tend to be lucrative and make up a significant amount of their total income. Ninja himself isn’t excluded from this: he was reportedly paid $1m to stream Apex Legends when it launched, he has a partnership with sports giant adidas, and he has an intensive working relationship with Red Bull. While financial terms of such deals are hard to come by, it’s not cheap for companies to access Ninja’s audience.

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The popular streamer also has an official apparel line aptly named Team Ninja, offering multiple collections aimed predominantly at fellow gamers. Items include $60 hoodies, $30 T-shirts, and $50 sweatpants. Considering he himself owns this brand, he’s likely to take home the majority of revenue generated here.

Ninja also has licensing deals with the likes of Wicked Cool Toys and Funko that sees collectable toys and accessories in his image. “They are the perfect team to launch the Ninja toy and collectable consumer products brand into the future both here and around the world,” he said of Wicked Cool Toys in 2019.

He even has his own book, which he called the “Ultimate Guide to Gaming.” Published in August 2019, the book lays out what he believes to be a comprehensive guide to setting yourself up for success when it comes to competing in esports. He signed a three-book deal with Clarkson Potter and Ten Speed Press, though financial terms weren’t disclosed.

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While it’s unclear whether he’s being paid for acting or he’s simply happy to be integrated into Hollywood, Ninja certainly seems to be expanding into the mainstream media sector. He was set to appear in Jumanji: The Next Level, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart, though his role was eventually cut, he’s set to appear in Ryan Reynold’s Free Guy, and he has an upcoming voice acting role for an unspecified television series.

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While he may not have as many revenue streams as KSI or MrBeast, being one of the faces of the gaming industry is evidently serving Ninja well.