"What's the Big Deal About Views?"... US Streamer Live Broadcasts in the Heart of a Hurricane

Ignoring Hurricane Evacuation Orders, Jumped into Lake
Live Broadcast During '200 Deaths' Hurricane... "Paid the Bill"

Last week, as the powerful hurricane Milton struck Florida in the southeastern United States, an online streaming broadcaster sparked controversy by ignoring evacuation warnings and conducting a live broadcast outdoors.

American streamer conducting live broadcast during hurricane.
[Image source=Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

On the 12th (local time), the British BBC reported that on the 9th, when hurricane Milton made landfall, American streamer Mike Smalls Jr. went outside in Tampa, Florida, carrying an air mattress, an umbrella, and a pack of ramen, and conducted a live broadcast.

He started a live broadcast on the online platform 'Kick' by the lakeside amid strong winds and heavy rain, pledging that if the concurrent viewers exceeded 10,000, he would get into the water with the mattress. After reaching the promised number of viewers, he got into the water on top of the mattress as he said. Mike told the BBC that shortly after entering the water, he became worried, saying, "The wind started to get stronger, and I didn't know how to swim. So I had to hold onto a tree."

The approximately one-hour live broadcast Mike conducted that day recorded over 60,000 views on 'Kick.' When the video was shared on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), it garnered millions of views.

At the time of his broadcast, an evacuation warning had been issued for the area. Most residents had left their homes and were staying at evacuation centers. Netizens who saw his video criticized him for taking dangerous actions that risked not only his own life but also the safety of rescue workers for the sake of the broadcast.

Moreover, this was not the first time Mike conducted such a reckless live broadcast. A week before Milton, when hurricane Hermine made landfall in the U.S., Mike went out with a tent and conducted a live broadcast outdoors for over five hours. While pitching the tent under an overpass, he said he wanted to show how to survive a hurricane "to entertain people."

The main reason Mike takes such life-risking actions during live broadcasts is presumed to be the income he earns from streaming. The BBC pointed out, "Recently, live streaming has become a way for content creators to make money quickly, and as competition to attract attention intensifies, cases like Mike's reckless behavior are increasing." Mike himself acknowledged that his broadcasts are "controversial," but added, "From a content creator's perspective, people like to watch things that are on the edge."

He did not disclose exactly how much he earned from this 'hurricane broadcast,' but said that streamers can earn about $300 to $400 (approximately 400,000 to 540,000 KRW) per hour. He also added that he recently earned enough money from his broadcasts to pay some bills.

Meanwhile, hurricane Milton, which passed through Florida last week, caused at least 16 deaths and power outages for millions of households. Additionally, due to the impact of hurricane Hermine at the end of last month, more than 200 people died, making it the second deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in the past 50 years.