5 ms·

Are you kidding? 4.8M / year is stellar revenue. Much much more than most people make in a lifetime. It's even more interesting that for 50k gross, you have to

Are you kidding? 4.8M / year is stellar revenue. Much much more than most people make in a lifetime. It's even more interesting that for 50k gross, you have to beat this guy "DEMOLITION_D" at the #4432 place.

falcolas 5y ago
Number 1 is Critical Roll. Their website lists 24 employees (many of whom are professional actors), and I’m sure there’s more behind the scenes. Salaries add up quickly.
- theshrike79 5y ago
  I'm pretty sure that Critical Role isn't the main income for most people. Also: 4.8M/24 people is still 200k per head. Even if you assume that various costs take 50% of the revenue, they're all still making 6 figures for a thing that's pretty much a side hustle for most of them.
  - walshemj 5y ago
    4.8M gross - there is there is all the over head involved in running the business after overheads it will be less.
  - falcolas 5y ago
    Let's say payroll is half their total costs. Payroll taxes plus income taxes works out to somewhere around 40-60% of the remaining amount. Health insurance is probably in the 10% range per year, leaving them with a $50k salary. Costs are not, of course, quite that high. As a point of comparison, a talented voice actor can gross around $125k per year, working from home as a freelancer. I don't feel that the Critical Roll actors are being overcompensated at all.
  - nightski 5y ago
    Critical role is making a ton more than just Twitch revenue. Also it started out being a side gig but most of them have switched to it as their primary gig. They are starting campaign 3 this fall.
  - rasz 5y ago
    You think an assistant is being paid same as busy TV actors? :) The most amazing Critical Role fact might be its creation was indirectly financed by Youtube/Google :o. Felicia Day knew all of those guys and about their private DnD game, she invited them to film few episodes for her YT channel "Geek & Sundry". Channel started with $1Mil advance from YouTube Original Channel Initiative, one of the rare if brief successes.
- jandrese 5y ago
  That works out to $200k/year for each employee, which after you account for benefits is a solid middle class income, assuming they don't live in downtown San Francisco or something. It's basically a regular job at that point.
  - bluefirebrand 5y ago
    I hate to break it to you, but 200k/yr is in the top 4% of earners in America. That's not "middle class" by any stretch of the imagination.
    - rvnx 5y ago
      It is, according to HN alternate reality
    - walshemj 5y ago
      Actually 200k gross is "middle class" what do you think a lawyer or doctor makes in CA.
    - jandrese 5y ago
      After taxes, insurance, retirement, etc... you're taking home maybe $100k of that. That's "modest home in a nicer suburb" level money.
      - colinmhayes 5y ago
        In the bay and LA sure. Everywhere else in the country you're living large. Even NYC 200k is doing pretty well.
        jandrese 5y ago
        I don't think you've been keeping up with home prices and insurance costs around the country. $100k take home isn't all that anymore. You're not food stamp poor, but it's easy to be house poor at that income level, especially if you're shooting for a better school district. Health insurance costs eat up so much of that it is not funny, even if you are healthy. If you or someone in your family comes down with an expensive medical condition you'll be in real trouble.
boringg 5y ago
That is literally the top earner in the community made up by a team of people. The media/VC etc community has been hyping e-gaming as the new sports domain. That said the top salary for a sports player is $168M / year for one player (Lionel Messi) and number 99 is $35M/year (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_sports_contracts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_sports_contrac...) It really shows how much of a step change there is between the sports & e-sports and I would be curious how much of this Twitch is keeping to themselves instead of paying out. Not to mention how much uptime e-gamers have to put in.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- somethingor 5y ago
  Note that streaming is a completely different revenue source than esports earnings. Top esports earners might not even stream at all.
  - boringg 5y ago
    Good point - I should differentiate more clearly.

falcolas 5y ago

Number 1 is Critical Roll. Their website lists 24 employees (many of whom are professional actors), and I’m sure there’s more behind the scenes. Salaries add up quickly.

theshrike79 5y ago
I'm pretty sure that Critical Role isn't the main income for most people. Also: 4.8M/24 people is still 200k per head. Even if you assume that various costs take 50% of the revenue, they're all still making 6 figures for a thing that's pretty much a side hustle for most of them.
- walshemj 5y ago
  4.8M gross - there is there is all the over head involved in running the business after overheads it will be less.
- falcolas 5y ago
  Let's say payroll is half their total costs. Payroll taxes plus income taxes works out to somewhere around 40-60% of the remaining amount. Health insurance is probably in the 10% range per year, leaving them with a $50k salary. Costs are not, of course, quite that high. As a point of comparison, a talented voice actor can gross around $125k per year, working from home as a freelancer. I don't feel that the Critical Roll actors are being overcompensated at all.
- nightski 5y ago
  Critical role is making a ton more than just Twitch revenue. Also it started out being a side gig but most of them have switched to it as their primary gig. They are starting campaign 3 this fall.
- rasz 5y ago
  You think an assistant is being paid same as busy TV actors? :) The most amazing Critical Role fact might be its creation was indirectly financed by Youtube/Google :o. Felicia Day knew all of those guys and about their private DnD game, she invited them to film few episodes for her YT channel "Geek & Sundry". Channel started with $1Mil advance from YouTube Original Channel Initiative, one of the rare if brief successes.
jandrese 5y ago
That works out to $200k/year for each employee, which after you account for benefits is a solid middle class income, assuming they don't live in downtown San Francisco or something. It's basically a regular job at that point.
- bluefirebrand 5y ago
  I hate to break it to you, but 200k/yr is in the top 4% of earners in America. That's not "middle class" by any stretch of the imagination.
  - rvnx 5y ago
    It is, according to HN alternate reality
  - walshemj 5y ago
    Actually 200k gross is "middle class" what do you think a lawyer or doctor makes in CA.
  - jandrese 5y ago
    After taxes, insurance, retirement, etc... you're taking home maybe $100k of that. That's "modest home in a nicer suburb" level money.
    - colinmhayes 5y ago
      In the bay and LA sure. Everywhere else in the country you're living large. Even NYC 200k is doing pretty well.
      - jandrese 5y ago
        I don't think you've been keeping up with home prices and insurance costs around the country. $100k take home isn't all that anymore. You're not food stamp poor, but it's easy to be house poor at that income level, especially if you're shooting for a better school district. Health insurance costs eat up so much of that it is not funny, even if you are healthy. If you or someone in your family comes down with an expensive medical condition you'll be in real trouble.

boringg 5y ago

That is literally the top earner in the community made up by a team of people. The media/VC etc community has been hyping e-gaming as the new sports domain. That said the top salary for a sports player is $168M / year for one player (Lionel Messi) and number 99 is $35M/year (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_sports_contracts https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_sports_contrac...) It really shows how much of a step change there is between the sports & e-sports and I would be curious how much of this Twitch is keeping to themselves instead of paying out. Not to mention how much uptime e-gamers have to put in.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
somethingor 5y ago
Note that streaming is a completely different revenue source than esports earnings. Top esports earners might not even stream at all.
- boringg 5y ago
  Good point - I should differentiate more clearly.