The $50 million dollar man Dr Disrespect—by his own valuations, at least—has publicly waved his tailfeathers at Kick again today, finally slapping a price tag on his services and how much the upstart streaming service would have to pay to see him swap rich red for bright green.
Kick.com and its many streaming defections have been the talk of the online world, especially since Twitch top dogs xQc and Amouranth both signed very wealthy non-exclusive deals just this month.
Since then, there’s only been one real topic: Who could the next turncoat be, and will they come from Twitch or YouTube’s stables?
If Dr Disrespect has his way, it will be him, though it’s going to cost Kick nearly as much as it forked out to lure xQc and the king juicer’s 11.9 million Twitch followers onto the fledgling platform. Early in his June 26 stream, the Doc finally put a price on his streaming services, declaring any deal he signs will have to be worth at least $50 million USD for him to even consider signing.
That said, he didn’t seem fully convinced either way, admitting his business ventures and Kick’s coffers would both play a role in any future decisions.
“I just don’t know how much money they have,” the exiled Twitch star turned YouTube cornerstone said, before adding there was plenty for him to consider on his side of things too. “Owning a future billion-dollar gaming studio, that takes up my time… [as does] Black Steel bourbon. We’ve got things to balance.”
“But,” he concluded, “if Kick wants the two-time, it’s $50 million.”
Is Dr Disrespect actually going to move to Kick?
It’s not outside the realms of possibility, even if Doc has named a meaty price tag. Just last week, Kick’s chief executive Eddie Craven actually admitted he is a “massive fan” of the Doc and would love to work with him.
“We’re talking with his team,” the streaming boss added.
That’s not to say Dr Disrespect is Kick’s next primary target though, with Craven quickly adding his teams have been talking to a host of streamers. According to the Kick CEO, only a small, select handful have actually knocked them back already too. “We want to work with everyone,” Craven explained, “We want to bring people over… and, most importantly, we want to give streamers what they’re worth.”
Related: Pokimane takes decisive Kick stance as more Twitch stars flock over
Whether Dr Disrespect is actually worth $50 million to Kick remains to be seen, but considering how many targets the site’s recruitment squad has already landed—with the non-exclusive deal seemingly the winner in many of those bargains—there’s every chance the Doc could be next up.
Until then, Dr Disrespect will continue streaming on YouTube.
The 41-year-old joined the Google-owned site in August 2020, several months after he was mysteriously banned from Twitch. He has gone on to cultivate 4.39 million subscribers on the platform in the following three years.
In 2021, he unveiled his own gaming studio, Midnight Society. The studio is currently working on DEADROP, an ambitious vertical extraction shooter.
Published: Jun 27, 2023 01:02 am