The staggering income of top-tier streamers has once again drawn attention to one-person broadcasting, a field that once saw massive waves of hopeful newcomers. As SOOP (formerly AfreecaTV) continues its rebranding—replacing the term “BJ” with “streamer” and expanding content genres—the platform has successfully concluded its biggest annual event, the 2025 SOOP Streamer Awards.
The ceremony was held on December 27th at the SOOP Colosseum in Sangam, Seoul. First launched in 2011, the Streamer Awards marked their 15th anniversary this year. The event brings together streamers who shaped the platform over the past year alongside the users who supported them, celebrating SOOP’s creator ecosystem.
Awards were presented across SOOP’s major content categories, including gaming, sports, and visual radio. Category grand prizes went to Kim Min-gyo in gaming, Bong-jun in visual radio, and Gamst in sports.
In addition to category winners, SOOP also honored the “Streamers of the Year,” selected from the top 0.1% based on platform performance metrics. A total of 100 streamers—including Juice Seyeon—received the distinction, along with 10 rookie award winners. The Content of the Year award went to JPL Season 2, a StarCraft league project created collaboratively by multiple streamers.
SOOP is currently estimated to host around 30,000 active streamers, with average monthly users exceeding 2 million. The platform’s primary revenue system revolves around “Star Balloons,” virtual items purchased by viewers and shared between streamers and the platform.
As reports of extreme high earnings spread, one-person broadcasting once sparked a boom among people in their 20s and 30s. However, the reality remains starkly divided: while a small group of elite streamers earn hundreds of millions of won per month, most struggle to make even a basic living wage.
After 18 years, AfreecaTV officially rebranded as SOOP, also retiring the term “BJ” in favor of “streamer.” The change is widely seen as an effort to distance the platform from negative perceptions caused by past controversies and reposition itself with a more professional, creator-friendly image.
During the ceremony, SOOP also unveiled SARSA 2.0, an AI manager designed to assist streamers. CEO Seo Soo-gil explained that SARSA can temporarily host broadcasts when a streamer steps away or runs a sleep stream. Using the streamer’s voice, expressions, and past broadcast data, the AI responds to chat and maintains engagement, with the goal of keeping broadcasts uninterrupted.
As record-breaking earnings and technological innovation continue to shape the industry, the 2025 SOOP Streamer Awards highlighted both the allure—and the stark realities—of the modern streaming economy.
Sources: Daum