[GC Monthly] Anime Expo 2026: Behind the Scenes with Global Influencers
- Jul 16
- 5 min read
Hello, this is Junghyun Kim from GC US.
We’ve heard that Korea is currently dealing with both the monsoon season and intense summer heat—humid and scorching at the same time.
I’ll be sharing plenty of highlights from Anime Expo in Los Angeles below, but before that, I wanted to tell you about something I stumbled upon after the event.
I stayed over at a friend’s house, and they had a YouTube livestream running almost the entire time. The channel was called FOBBV CAM.
It’s simply a 24/7 livestream of a bald eagle nest—completely demonetized—and yet nearly 10,000 people were watching its two live feeds simultaneously. What amazed me even more was that the audience stayed surprisingly consistent throughout the day.
Apparently, the channel has been operating since 2015 in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and wildlife experts.
Maybe the world has simply become so noisy that people are looking for somewhere peaceful to escape. (Haha.)
I also recently learned that livestreams featuring scenic views from major cities around the world paired with relaxing lo-fi music have become increasingly popular.
Do any of you watch channels like these?
I also found out they even sell their own merchandise!
Global News
How Influencers Are Experiencing the FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup is already approaching its final match.
Despite strict broadcasting rights, it remains one of the world's biggest entertainment events. So how are influencers creating content around a tournament they technically can't rebroadcast?
For the first time since 1994, the World Cup returned to the United States, creating entirely new opportunities for North American creators.
One of the most noticeable trends has been creators livestreaming directly from inside the stadium.
Major streamers such as IShowSpeed, Marlon, and Lacy purchased their own tickets and streamed the experience live on YouTube and Twitch.
While broadcasting the actual match is prohibited due to media rights restrictions, many creators work around the limitation by showing themselves reacting while nearby televisions or stadium screens remain visible in the background.
Those livestream moments are then clipped and redistributed across Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, creating second- and even third-wave organic reach.
(A perfect example would be the viral clip of IShowSpeed bursting into tears after Cristiano Ronaldo's elimination.)
Another trend that stood out during this year's tournament was second-screen viewing, particularly among Gen Z audiences.
Rather than simply watching the match itself, viewers increasingly prefer watching their favorite creators react to the game in real time.
Trevor Noah's World Cup Watch Party on YouTube attracted hundreds of thousands of views, while the Associated Press even livestreamed people gathering together to watch the matches.
One Korean-American Twitch streamer we frequently collaborate with, Fobm4ster, hosted watch parties for every South Korea match throughout the tournament.
(His disappointed expression after Korea's elimination was impossible to hide.)
If you can't make it to the stadium, you experience the World Cup through influencers who can.
That has naturally become part of today's viewing culture.
The way audiences consume live sports is clearly evolving.
Second-screen viewing, livestreams, and watch parties have become just as important as traditional broadcasts.
We expect this trend to continue through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
If you're planning sports or entertainment campaigns in the U.S. market, influencer-driven activations should absolutely be part of the strategy.
Global News
A School for Streamers?!
Kai Cenat is now one of the most influential streamers in the world—and the first creator in Twitch history to surpass one million active subscribers.
His latest project, Streamer University, attracted more than one million applications, with only 120 participants ultimately being accepted.
Classes officially begin on July 15, featuring an impressive lineup of instructors including T-Pain, Ludwig, Maya Higa, and Lizzo, each teaching from their own area of expertise within content creation and livestreaming.
It's fascinating to see just how far the creator economy has evolved. We've reached a point where successful creators aren't just building communities—they're building schools.
GC News
Anime Expo 2026: On the Ground in Los Angeles
From July 2–5, the GC team attended Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles.
It truly felt like every cosplay character imaginable had gathered under one roof.
At one point we noticed an overwhelming number of attendees wearing Luffy's straw hat and wondered what was going on—only to discover that the official One Piece booth was located just around the corner.
There must have been hundreds of Luffy cosplayers throughout the venue.
One of the highlights of the event was reconnecting with many of the global influencers and partners we currently collaborate with.
One North American creator we've worked with for over five years proudly shared that he had secured more than ten sponsorship deals during the event alone simply by walking up to game publishers, showing them his YouTube channel, and pitching himself directly on the show floor.
This year, GC partnered with a game developer to organize an influencer activation as part of the official booth program.
Global creators were invited to visit the booth, experience the game firsthand, participate in booth activities, and interact with cosplayers throughout the convention.
To capture the excitement in real time, several creators livestreamed directly from the booth. Those moments were later edited into YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and other short-form content, allowing the event to reach audiences far beyond Anime Expo itself.
As part of the booth's official programming, well-known illustrators were invited to create live artwork while interacting directly with visitors.
Many of them announced their appearance schedules in advance through their own social channels, encouraging fans to visit the booth specifically to meet them.
Watching a favorite illustrator create artwork live right in front of you is an experience that's difficult to replicate online—and judging by the crowds, fans clearly felt the same way.
One of Twitch's biggest personalities in North America, Ironmouse, even operated her own booth at Anime Expo.
The booth continuously played videos of Ironmouse singing and dancing while offering merchandise giveaways and capsule machine events for fans.
Interestingly, despite rarely attending events in person, Ironmouse is known for participating remotely around the world—sometimes even through robotic telepresence with assistance from her staff.
From an influencer's perspective, these events create opportunities to meet fans face-to-face while spending time with games they genuinely enjoy.
That experience naturally deepens their connection to the titles they're featuring.
Several creators even approached us directly during the event to ask about upcoming Korean games and potential sponsorship opportunities.
Planning an offline event in Korea or overseas?
Whether it's an exhibition, convention, creator activation, or booth campaign, GC is ready to support your next event from planning through execution.
ContentFlux
In partnership with This Is Game, we're publishing a weekly ContentFlux column featuring streaming data and creator insights from around the world.
In case you missed any of our recent articles, here's a quick roundup:
Home-Field Advantage? Rhythm Heaven: Miracle Stars and Its Global Streaming Performance
How Did Deltarune Chapter 5 Perform? Streaming Data Reveals Audience Reactions to the New Update
Mecha Chameleon: Two Weeks of Streaming Success for a Game Built for Content Creators
Why Gothic 1 Remake Captured Attention in Select Markets: A Look at the Streaming Data
How Did the New Path of Exile 2 Expansion Perform? A Look at the Streaming Response
