KICK has launched KICK Ads, opening its platform to advertisers for the first time since its founding more than three and a half years ago. The livestreaming platform, which has grown past 100 million active users, said the move follows a strategy of prioritizing creators, communities, and product development before introducing advertising revenue. 

KICK reports surpassing 1.5 billion hours watched in Q2 2026 and holding the top position among streaming platforms in the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America, with growth in Asia, Europe and Australia. The company said it has hired advertising talent from Google, Spotify, Omnicom and Seven Network to build out the ads platform and service model.

Ryan Webb, KICK’s Head of Growth & Revenue, said the company waited until it had built sustained audience trust before introducing ads. “The viewer is everything on KICK. They’re not watching in the background; they’re in the chat, part of the stream. We spent more than three years earning that by building a platform creators wanted to stream on, and communities wanted to spend time in,” Webb said.

The timing follows public remarks from co-founder Bijan Tehrani in April, when he marked KICK’s 100 million-user milestone by acknowledging structural problems with the platform’s early build. Tehrani said KICK “rushed to market” at launch, shipping with “weak plumbing” and purchased technology, and described the company’s subsequent three years as an infrastructure rebuild conducted while operations continued. He also said KICK had ended “Saudi level contracts” that drove short-term growth at the expense of content quality, and that the company had been working to improve its unit economics. An ads rollout had already been signaled as underway.

Reaching a Gen Z and Millennial Audience

KICK notes that 81.7% of its audience falls between ages 18 and 34, a share the company said outpaces other livestreaming platforms and linear television. The platform reports adding 39 million new users in 2025 and a further 27 million in the first half of 2026.

Kelly Lenihan, KICK’s Global Advertising Lead, framed the ads launch as an answer to advertisers seeking access to audiences spending less time with traditional media. “The answer isn’t another social feed; it’s livestreaming. People don’t just watch KICK, they participate in it,” Lenihan said. “You’re not simply buying impressions; you’re becoming a part of their communities, conversations and cultural moments.”

Gaming accounts for 48% of KICK’s content, with talk shows, podcasts and IRL livestreams making up 37%, alongside professional sport, esports tournaments, creator events, and news content. More than 41,000 creators stream on the platform monthly. According to Stream Hatchet’s 2025 annual report, KICK recorded the fastest growth among major livestreaming platforms last year, with hours watched rising 131% to 4.5 billion, placing it third behind Twitch and YouTube Gaming.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Check Out Our Podcast