VTubers And The Business Model Of Voyeurism Of Indulgence

Over the past month, a number of the various YouTube channels I subscribe to have posted videos that essentially propose what Beyond The Bot did just yesterday, with its video titled “Why You’ll Become Obsessed With VTubers” — namely that the future of live streaming and maybe YouTube in general is VTubers. As someone who doesn’t get the appeal of either Twitch or YouTube livestreaming and definitely not the appeal of animated livestreamers, I was puzzled why they would all say such a thing.

Puzzled even to the point I wondered if some of the major VTuber talent coordinators like Hololive Production were secretly paying for the coverage. And no, now that I have had time to think about this and hash it out with some friends, I don’t think that is the case — not just because I would like to think those channels I follow wouldn’t violate YouTube’s paid ad disclosure policy like that. Here’s what I think is really going on.

The livestreaming phenomenon, whether that applies to live action Twitch game streamers, animated VTubers or Myfreecams sex workers, all share exactly the same business model, and are built on exactly the same core appeal — tipping people that allow you to watch them engage in indulging their needs, wants or interests live on camera.

You might think the key commonality here is voyeurism, but it is specifically voyeurism of indulgence.

In the case of Twitch game streamers or artist streamers, the audience is watching that person do something they would indulge in whether or not there was an audience. It is like watching the cooks in an open kitchen or the rug weavers at a county fair exhibit — you get to peek into their world as they do what they like or love doing. Better yet, the streamers interact with you the audience, via response to chat messages, in almost real time.

The same is even more true for the sex workers on platforms like Myfreecams. The audience gets to watch them indulge in one of the most universal needs, sexual satisfaction, while being able to interact via chat.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!
VTubers, whether on YouTube or Twitch, use this exact model of both appealing to an audience and generating revenue. In fact, VTubers, taking a cue from webcam sex workers, expand on this model beyond live action Twitch streamers, by utilizing a fake character. And not just a fake name and/or location, as the sex worker livestreamers do, but an actual animated physical presence.

Even more so than the sex workers, the VTubers can use the fact that they have an animated persona to build a back story that can be spun out along with whatever content they might be streaming. This gives them a dual pathway to appealing to an audience — voyeurism of indulgence of an interest (games, for example) and voyeurism of indulgence of a need (telling one’s story).

For all of those platforms, the business model is identical — tip the streamer to encourage them to continue to indulge their interests or needs, and maybe encourage them to push the envelope of those indulgences.

One of the major differences that singles out the VTuber segment is the fact that it is dominated by corporate aggregators of talent that have figured out that the idol model of management and control of creatives works for the livestreaming market too. That hasn’t yet penetrated the Twitch streaming sector or sex worker camming sector, in which most of those streamers are independent and individual workers. But if it has proven so successful in the rapid growth of the VTuber market, will it be long before it reaches into Twitch and sites like Myfreecams?

That may be the real future brought about by the rapid rise in VTubers on the streaming platforms — the sudden sweep of corporate management into all livestreaming. Channels like Gigguk, Beyond the Bot and Mother’s Basement, to name just a few, may be right about the VTuber future, just not in the way they intended.

If you like our work and want to show your appreciation, feel free to tip us at Ko-fi or become a patron on Patreon.