Democrats swept the midterms. Millions watched on livestreams with their favorite influencers

The Democratic party's triumphant victory in the recent midterms has ushered in a new era in media audiences, with livestreaming taking center stage. Influential left-leaning creators such as Hasan Piker have amassed viewer numbers that pose a significant challenge to traditional news outlets. Television networks have long held dominance in live election coverage, but as audiences gravitate towards online creators for insights into major news events, media companies are adapting by transforming their broadcast talent into digital personalities.

This shift was evident on Tuesday night when Comcast-owned NBC News rolled out the Kornacki Cam, an almost 11-hour livestream featuring data expert Steve Kornacki. The livestream, which blended real-time analysis of election results with behind-the-scenes footage, garnered an impressive 29 million views across platforms and reached over 300,000 concurrent viewers for nearly three hours at its peak.

However, the competition was not limited to established news outlets; independent livestreamers played a pivotal role as well. At the forefront was Piker, a self-proclaimed Marxist who has sparked controversy within the Democratic party with statements like "America deserved 9/11."