When K-pop band BTS streamed a record-setting live concert to hundreds of thousands of paying fans in 2020, it was all done under their own brand, not a third-party platform. Behind the scenes was Kiswe, a New Jersey–based tech company founded in 2013. Today, Kiswe’s infrastructure helps creators like Rhett & Link’s Mythical Entertainment and Smosh own their audiences and revenue beyond YouTube and TikTok.

“We believe content owners should be able to connect directly with their audiences without intermediaries, and we provide the tools to make that possible,” explains Kiswe VP of Marketing Jake Nishimura. “We’re not replacing social media. We help artists and creators build community beyond those platforms and drive sustainable revenue.”

Before joining Kiswe in October 2021, Jake spent more than six years at AEG Presents and the Messina Touring Group, developing digital marketing strategies for the tours of artists including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, and Shawn Mendes. He says the company’s mission immediately resonated with him. “A friend connected me with Kiswe, and I was drawn to their mission of helping artists connect directly with fans in a digital, scalable way. We’ve since applied that same ethos to sports – and now creators.”

For creators, he adds, the appeal is clear. “On major platforms, creators rely on algorithms to distribute content, find new fans, and generate revenue,” says Jake. “Many depend on YouTube ad revenue, but algorithms change. Ad demand fluctuates. It’s out of their control.”

Kiswe’s infrastructure offers a solution: a white-label system that lets creators fully brand, monetize, and manage live experiences on their own terms.

Rather than prioritizing their own brand visibility, Kiswe intentionally operates behind the scenes. “Our CEO calls us ‘humble plumbers,'” Jake shares. “We’re in the background making sure every platform and event we power runs seamlessly at a global scale.”

This philosophy defines Kiswe’s modus operandi. “We work behind the scenes to elevate our partners because we believe a rising tide lifts all ships. We succeed when our partners succeed,” says Jake.

Technology Suite for Creator-Audience Connection

Kiswe’s value proposition goes beyond basic video streaming. The company offers a full-stack solution encompassing branded landing pages, native global ticketing, flexible monetization options, and integrated merchandise sales. “Everything is fully branded for that partner,” Jake says, underlining the white-label nature of their service.

During live events, Kiswe’s engagement features transform passive viewing into interactive experiences. Their technology enables real-time audience participation through chat, “cheers,” and their signature “Fan Reacts” feature, i.e., short video selfies submitted by fans during live events, fully moderated to maintain quality.

One of Kiswe’s key offerings is multi-view technology, which Jake illustrates through their work with The Try Guys: “We did a cooking show where each Try Guy had a dedicated camera, plus a director’s cut. Users could choose their favorite Try Guy’s feed or switch between views.”

Jake notes how these interactive elements significantly change the audience experience: “When fans feel seen by their favorite creator, it makes the experience more personal; it brings the show into their space instead of just being something they watch online.

Analytics Throughout the Event Lifecycle

Kiswe’s most significant offering for creators is its approach to audience data collection and analysis.

“We collect first-party data for our partners, which they own,” Jake explains. “This includes emails from anyone who signs up, buys a ticket, and opts into marketing. They get access to data they can’t get anywhere else.”

This data collection spans the entire event lifecycle. Before events, Kiswe monitors marketing metrics to optimize conversions. During events, their AI-powered sentiment analysis evaluates audience responses in real time. “We analyze chat messages and map them against positive, neutral, and negative reactions,” Jake says.

After events, Kiswe provides partners with detailed analytics reports. “We share reports showing which parts of the show drove engagement and which didn’t. That helps them make adjustments for next time,” Jake explains.

Jake believes this analytical approach creates a beneficial cycle where audience insights lead to improved content, which in turn strengthens audience relationships and drives sustainable revenue, all controlled directly by the creator.

From One-Off Events to Year-Round Strategy

Kiswe’s collaboration with YouTubers Smosh exemplifies how their infrastructure supports long-term creator strategies beyond individual events. “We built live.smosh.com for them, and that’s where they host all their premium content,” Jake says. “It’s been great working on not just single events, but the broader content strategy for the year.”

This partnership demonstrates Kiswe’s ability to adapt to the needs of creators. “They like to experiment with different formats and campaigns,” Jake notes. “When they come up with new ideas, we adapt the platform to fit. It’s challenging – but rewarding – because it pushes us too.”

Smosh has leveraged Kiswe’s interactive features to create unique audience experiences, including choose-your-own-adventure-style content. “They polled the audience mid-show to decide what happens next. Fans could shape the story in real time,” Jake explains.

While Kiswe now works extensively across sports, music and digital creators, its technology was initially developed for sports content. “We started in sports and found new applications for the technology we built,” Jake explains. “Creators have passionate fans who show up for them, and we love powering those events.”

The scale of these events can be massive, with some reaching “hundreds, even hundreds of thousands of users in a single evening,” according to Jake.

Kiswe Core: Streamlining Multi-Platform Distribution

Recognizing that most creators will maintain a presence across multiple platforms while building direct audience relationships, Kiswe recently launched Kiswe Core, a distribution platform that simplifies content delivery across the digital ecosystem.

“It’s a distribution platform that lets content owners upload one feed to Kiswe Core,” Jake explains. “We handle all the formatting and deliver it in the right specs to each partner – whether that’s a D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) platform, Netflix, broadcast TV, or social media.”

The development of Kiswe Core was a direct response to the needs of our partners. “Several partners asked if we could use our technology to help distribute to other platforms as well,” Jake reveals.

The Future: Full-Service Streaming Company

For the future, Jake outlines a vision for Kiswe’s future. “We want to be the go-to brand for all things streaming,” he says. “With Core, we now have both the consumer-facing D2C side and the B2B (Business to Business) technology side. We aim to be a full-service streaming company.”

This expansion reflects a broader trend in the creator economy toward greater independence and direct connections with audiences. “We’ve seen a major rise in creator-owned channels over the past few years,” Jake observes, citing “the Dropout team and their success moving from YouTube to their own platform.”

Kiswe’s growth in this sector suggests a shift in how creators approach their business models. Rather than viewing creator-owned platforms as replacements for social media, Jake sees them as complementary.

“Creator-owned platforms will help creators truly own and scale their businesses while building community beyond social,” Jake predicts. “They may never fully replace social media, but they’ll grow massively over the next five to ten years.”

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