Mixer (service)

Mixer

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video game live streaming
Predecessor	Beam
Founded	January 5, 2016 (2016-01-05)
Founder	Matthew Salsamendi, James Boehm
Defunct	July 22, 2020 (2020-07-22)
Fate	Discontinued; assets and users migrated to Facebook Gaming
Headquarters	Seattle , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Live streaming platform for video games
Owner	Microsoft (2016–2020)
Parent	Microsoft Xbox division
Website	mixer.com

Mixer was a U.S.-based video game live streaming service that debuted on January 5, 2016, originally under the name Beam, created by Matthew Salsamendi and James Boehm. The platform prioritized viewer engagement through minimal stream delay and interactive features enabling audiences to directly affect live broadcasts.

In August 2016, Microsoft purchased the service, rebranding it as Mixer in 2017 and incorporating it within its Xbox division, including integration with Xbox One consoles. By 2019, Mixer gained prominence by securing exclusive contracts with prominent streamers from rival platform Twitch, notably Ninja and Shroud.

Despite these efforts, Microsoft revealed on June 22, 2020, that Mixer would discontinue operations by July 22 due to difficulties scaling the platform. A deal was arranged to migrate monetized channels over to Facebook's game streaming service. Mixer officially terminated its services on July 22, 2020.

Features

Mixer utilized a low-latency streaming technology known as FTL ("Faster Than Light"), which cut delays to less than one second, fostering seamless interaction between broadcasters and audiences. Viewers could engage with streams through interactive buttons positioned beneath the video player to cast votes, activate effects, or influence gameplay elements. These interactions typically required "Sparks," a virtual currency earned by watching streams. Subsequently, a premium currency named "Embers" was introduced, functioning similarly to Twitch’s "Bits," allowing users to purchase animated chat effects called "Skills." An SDK was also available for developers to embed these interactive capabilities into their games.

In April 2019, Mixer launched "Channel Progression," a leveling mechanic designed to reward consistent user participation with perks for sustained engagement. Additionally, the platform featured CATbot, an adjustable automated chat moderation system that filtered inappropriate messages based on user ranking within Channel Progression.

Mixer supported a subscription model for partnered channels that granted exclusive badges and emoticons. Originally set at US$5.99 per month, the subscription price was lowered to $4.99 in October 2019 to enhance competitiveness against Twitch.

History

Beam debuted on January 5, 2016. Just a few months later, in May 2016, Beam secured victory at the Startup Battlefield event during TechCrunch Disrupt, receiving $50,000 in non-dilutive funding.

On August 11, 2016, Microsoft purchased Beam for an undisclosed amount and absorbed its team into the Xbox division. By October of the same year, Beam was incorporated into Windows 10, and by March 2017, a software update enabled broadcasting capabilities on Xbox One.

Due to international trademark conflicts, Microsoft rebranded Beam as Mixer on May 25, 2017. This relaunch brought new capabilities such as co-streaming with up to three broadcasters simultaneously and introduced the Mixer Create app for mobile devices. Mixer also became deeply integrated into the Xbox One interface, featuring a dedicated tab for live streams.

On July 31, 2019, renowned streamer Ninja inked an exclusive contract to transition from Twitch to Mixer starting August 1. This move was considered a significant strategic gain for Mixer, given Ninja’s following exceeded 14 million. His management attributed the switch to Twitch’s community "toxicity" and restrictions within Twitch’s contracts that limited brand growth.

According to a report from Streamlabs and Newzoo, Mixer experienced a 188% increase in unique streaming hours quarter-over-quarter during Q3 2019, although average concurrent viewership dropped by 11.7%. In October 2019, founders Boehm and Salsamendi departed from Microsoft. That same month saw Mixer secure exclusive deals with streamers Shroud and KingGothalion.

Microsoft announced on June 22, 2020, that Mixer would cease operations on July 22, citing insufficient market penetration and difficulties scaling against competitors. As part of a collaboration with Facebook, Inc. (now Meta Platforms, Inc.) focusing on cloud gaming through xCloud, Mixer redirected its audience to Facebook Gaming after shutting down. Selected partnered streamers were invited to join Facebook Gaming’s programs. Remaining subscriptions and Embers were converted into credit for the Microsoft Store. Former Mixer employees were transitioned to the Microsoft Teams group. Meta Platforms retained ownership of the Mixer brand trademarks.

The domain Mixer.com now forwards users directly to Facebook Gaming. Microsoft released exclusive streamers from their contracts; Ninja briefly streamed on YouTube before returning exclusively to Twitch, while Shroud also returned under an exclusive agreement with Twitch.