Can Ethiopia’s Live Streaming Boom Move Beyond Stunts?

Live streaming has emerged as one of the most powerful forces in global media, blending entertainment, monetization, and real-time interaction into one endlessly scrolling feed.  It’s no longer just a digital novelty—it’s a global industry, projected to hit $247 billion by 2027, reshaping how people perform, connect, and earn a living. 

From YouTube’s Super Chats to TikTok’s Creator Fund, Instagram's Badges, platforms are investing heavily in keeping creators online and audiences engaged. The formula is simple: make it live, make it interactive, and keep the money flowing. Content chopped up from livestreams is often circulated across other social media channels, fueling engagement and a wider reach. 

In Ethiopia, the streaming wave is moving fast. Creators are discovering that they can make thousands of dollars in a single night through gifts and engagement, a game-changing opportunity in the local creator economy. Many have turned to social media channels like TikTok to earn their living. 

But there’s a catch. 

As competition grows and trends change overnight, creators are left chasing a moving target in exchange for short bursts of visibility and income. 

To keep audiences engaged and receiving gifts, many streamers feel compelled to perform bizarre and outlandish acts, such as behaving like "NPCs" (non-playable characters). These creators often fall into loops of repetitive and absurd actions: dumping flour and water on themselves, reciting robotic phrases, or pulling off increasingly ridiculous stunts to stay relevant and boost earnings. 

This phenomenon reflects a broader tension in the live-streaming space: what draws the crowd often wears the creator down. 

For creators looking for something more sustainable, something smarter, the search is on for better tools. In countries like Japan, the United States, and much of Europe, streamers are often avid gamers who blend lifestyle content with live-streamed games. 

Why Games Are Changing the Streaming Space 

Games have always drawn people in. Globally, trivia apps have been downloaded millions of times and have generated hundreds of millions in revenue. Recent estimates forecast the market size of the global game streaming site to more than double in size to around 20 billion dollars over the next eight years. The reason? People love to play along, especially when the content feels live, social, and interactive. 

On streaming platforms, adding games transforms viewers from passive watchers into engaged participants. It makes the stream dynamic. And it gives creators new ways to connect — without stunts or gimmicks. Some Ethiopian platforms are also trying to bridge the demand gap through a digital chord that keeps viewers entertained and streamers compensated. 

The broader lesson for the live-streaming industry, particularly in emerging markets like Ethiopia, is that virality doesn’t have to come at the cost of dignity or direction. Live content can be smart, participatory, and monetizable—if creators are given the right tools. 

Game-based interactions, trivia formats, and real-time audience participation are more than gimmicks; they are foundational shifts in how streaming can work for both creators and their communities. With multilingual support, localized payment options, and content tools designed for creative ease, not spectacle, these models could mark a new chapter in how creators thrive in Ethiopia. 

This shift is just beginning to take root. Some platforms are now experimenting with features that allow creators to integrate games and audience interaction without resorting to spectacle. 

Beemi: Ethiopia’s First Livestreaming Platform  

Qene Games, one of Ethiopia's earliest game development studios, debuted Beemi almost two years ago. The year-long development that included nearly 170 versions of the Platform quickly paid dividends. Thousands subscribed within a short period, while the Company continued to innovate by trying out different ways that allowed creators to engage.  

Viewers answer in the comments, get real-time points, and see their profile rise on the stream. It’s interactive TV, except the audience is finally in control. Streamers using Beemi see up to 5x more engagement and longer viewer retention, making them rank higher in platform algorithms and attract more fans organically. They can also link a custom gifting system in  Ethiopian birr, so fans in Ethiopia can donate and see their support show up live on stream. With animations like limo arrivals and gift battles, the app adds fun pressure that boosts gifting and keeps viewers engaged.

Beemi’s AI trivia creator helps streamers generate fun, on-topic games in under a minute, in over 14 languages, including Amharic, Tigrigna, Oromifa, and more. Whether the creator is educating, entertaining, or doing both, they can create new content quickly, without stress.

The platform also allows creators to fully customize their live streaming interface, ensuring brand alignment in both tone and aesthetics.

Ethiopia Is Just Getting Started

Beemi is showing what’s possible when innovation meets culture. For Ethiopian streamers tired of messy stunts and unsustainable tactics, Beemi offers a better way: real interaction, smart content, and more income, without the chaos.

Ethiopia’s digital entertainment sector is still finding its identity. But the global playbook for live streaming doesn’t have to be blindly followed. By leaning into interactivity, educational value, and cultural relevance, Ethiopian streamers and platforms can define a future that moves beyond the stunt and toward a more empowering creator economy.

The potential is already on display. The question now is whether the industry, and its audiences, are ready to embrace what comes next.