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Twitch streamer Ludwig broadcast himself live for two weeks straight

It’s not your average get rich quick scheme but one man has figured out a way to keep the cash constantly rolling in, even making money in his sleep.

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An American Twitch star has made an estimated $US1.2million ($A1.57 million) after live-streaming himself from his bedroom for two weeks straight.

Ludwig Anders Ahgren kicked off his marathon broadcast on March 14 and is charging viewers cash to extend the around-the-clock stream.

The video feed aired from his home in California has featured dozens of hours of himself asleep in a bright red race car bed.

The 23-year-old plays video games, chats, cooks, eats and even showers (with shorts on), all on stream, according to The New York Times.

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Ludwig Anders Ahgren has been live-streaming his life for over two weeks.
Ludwig Anders Ahgren has been live-streaming his life for over two weeks.

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Ludwig extends the deadline for the stream‘s end by 20 seconds for each subscription purchased for his channel. Subscriptions are $5 per month.

It works a bit like a telethon – as long as the cash keeps coming in, he won‘t stop streaming.

“We’re making this like a goddamn vending machine,” Ludwig said a few hours into the first day of his stream.

Over the course of the project, Ludwig has played games, slept, exercised and much more while streaming to up to 70,000 viewers at a time.

His five roommates and girlfriend have played supporting roles, joining him to cook or workout.

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The American has more than 2 million Twitch subscribers.
The American has more than 2 million Twitch subscribers.

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The streamer has 2.2 million subscribers on Twitch – 500,000 more than he had prior to his “subathon”, according to unofficial tracker SocialBlade.

If each of those new followers has paid the minimum $5 subscription fee, Ludwig has generated at least $US2.5 million ($A3.28 million) over the past two weeks.

Twitch currently operates on a 50/50 split for streamers, meaning the web star has taken home roughly $US1.2 million ($A1.6 million) since the project began.

In one stream, Ludwig said he would keep going as long as people kept subscribing – though he has added some constraints.

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Twitch streamer Ludwig (left) sleeps on camera on Monday during his marathon broadcast. In the foreground, stream moderators play a game to keep viewers entertained
Twitch streamer Ludwig (left) sleeps on camera on Monday during his marathon broadcast. In the foreground, stream moderators play a game to keep viewers entertained

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New subscribers now only add 10 seconds to the stream, and the American has said he will stop at 31 days no matter what.

At the time of writing, an on-screen timer has eight hours to go before the stream ends, though it regularly jumps up as new subscribers join.

Ludwig was already popular on Twitch before the subathon began, and he’s had some help along the way.

The stream has featured prominently on Twitch‘s homepage and the platform even wished him “Goodnight“ from its official Twitter account.

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Ludwig recently became the most subscribed to streamer on the site.

A subathon is not a new concept. Streamers regularly engage in certain activities or stunts in order to drive subscription numbers.

Creators might promise, for instance, to eat a really hot chilli or play a specific game once a subscription target is met.

In April 2020, Twitch star LosPollosTV streamed for more than six days during a subathon, setting what was believed to be a record at the time.

Other streamers have since gone on longer, but without running a subathon for the duration.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Twitch streamer Ludwig broadcast himself live for two weeks straight

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/technology/gaming/twitch-streamer-ludwig-broadcast-himself-live-for-two-weeks-straight/news-story/c5918b6533952de5e203e004e8631c09