2016–2021: Origins, early content, and platform bans Watkins registered his
YouTube channel "IShowSpeed" in 2016, though he initially uploaded gameplay clips only occasionally. He began consistent livestreaming in December 2017, broadcasting games such as
NBA 2K and
Fortnite. His early streams averaged a low viewership; by 2020, he averaged approximately ten concurrent viewers per broadcast. Ross disconnected Watkins from the call; however, Watkins rejoined and directed further aggressive remarks at Kash. Twitch subsequently banned Watkins from the platform for "sexual coercion or intimidation". doing the "my mom is kinda homeless" face On December 29, 2021, during a four-hour-and-23-minute livestream titled "EARLY STREAM!", Watkins participated in a
Fortnite match that spawned a viral internet meme. During the game, a teammate with the username "Acey Daddy" requested that Watkins help him win, stating, "Please, Speed, I need this! My mom is kind of homeless." Watkins responded by visibly suppressing laughter while a third player, "Pew is Daddy", scolded him for his reaction. This resulted in one of the game's producers, Sara Dadafshar, permanently banning Watkins from
Valorant and all other
Riot Games titles. YouTube's global head of gaming creators, Lester Chen, replied to the clip, stating he was "on it." He reached 10 million subscribers on YouTube later that month. In late July 2022, Watkins received a community guidelines strike and a one-week ban on YouTube after livestreaming a sexual
Minecraft mod named "Jenny's Mod" to 96,000 live viewers. The broadcast displayed explicit sexual activity involving his in-game character. Watkins initially censored the screen but later accidentally revealed the content. On August 8, 2022, Watkins was
swatted while livestreaming on YouTube. Officers handcuffed him, and his cameraman was forced to end the broadcast. He later claimed that he had been jailed and that
Adin Ross had posted his bail, allowing him to return to streaming on August 11. In September 2022, Watkins participated in the
Sidemen Charity Match. During the match, he became frustrated at referee
Mark Clattenburg for disallowing a goal due to
offside; Watkins whipped Clattenburg with the jersey he had removed during his celebration, receiving a
yellow card. The broadcaster removed all content featuring him from their social media channels and website. On November 16, Watkins faced criticism for allegedly promoting a
cryptocurrency scam known as a "
pump and dump scheme" during a livestream for The Paradox Metaverse, an open-world game. The following day, he apologized, stating: "I made a mistake that I wish I never did but I'm not a scammer." In December 2022, Watkins won the "Breakout Streamer" award at the
12th Streamy Awards. That same month, during the
2022 FIFA World Cup, he generated controversy for his behavior toward a Chinese spectator in
Qatar. During a livestream, he approached a man wearing an Argentina jersey; when the man indicated he did not speak English, Watkins repeatedly said "Konnichiwa" and uttered sounds reminiscent of
Cantonese and
Mandarin Chinese. Following backlash, he uploaded an apology video to Twitter. Watkins expanded his platform in May 2023 by announcing an exclusive streaming deal with the platform
Rumble, in collaboration with
Kai Cenat. On June 17, 2023, he met
Cristiano Ronaldo in Lisbon following
Portugal's match against
Bosnia and Herzegovina. By August 2023, Watkins surpassed 20 million subscribers on YouTube. On August 16, he accidentally exposed his
penis to a live audience of 25,000 viewers while playing ''
Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach'' after being startled by a
jump scare. The incident became a trending topic on social media platforms. YouTube did not ban Watkins for the incident. In December 2023, Watkins participated in a charity boxing sparring session with
KSI, raising funds for the
Anthony Walker Foundation.
2024–present: Travel content, streamer of the year and continued growth , during his Southeast Asia tour in September 2024|356x356px On February 23, 2024, Watkins participated in "Match for Hope 2024", a soccer charity match hosted in
Ahmad bin Ali Stadium,
Qatar, where he played for Team
Chunkz. A clip of him went viral in which he
slide tackled
Brazilian former soccer player
Kaká. On May 29, 2024, Watkins attended the annual
Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake in
Gloucestershire, England, during which he suffered a leg injury, which he claimed required hospitalization. In June and July 2024, during the
UEFA Euro 2024, Watkins toured
Europe, reaching 25 million subscribers on June 2. On July 3, Watkins visited Norway, where he streamed in a souvenir store. While interacting with a large gathering of fans from a second story window, he injured his ankle. Upon being escorted out by a bodyguard, Watkins was attacked by the crowd, and would be hospitalized. Watkins's tour of Europe received over 2.5 billion views across multiple
social media platforms. Watkins is a supporter of
Palestine, has expressed
opposition to Israel, and regularly shouted "Free Palestine!" on his gaming livestreams. In June 2024, he donated $50,000 to the
Palestine Children's Relief Fund. On August 3, 2024, Watkins performed a live-streamed stunt where he jumped over two speeding supercars in
Miami. The stream was then deleted on August 5, due to violating YouTube's Terms of Service. While on tour in Southeast Asia, he surpassed 30 million subscribers and accumulated a total of 110 million views for the duration of the trip. One of Watkins's livestreams, titled "IRL Stream in Indonesia", marked the first time an English-speaking streamer had received one million concurrent viewers in a livestream. On November 22, Watkins began his tour of Australia and New Zealand. On November 26, it was announced that Watkins would become the president of the U.S. version of
Baller League, a
six-a-side soccer league. Later that month, he was ranked first by
Complex Networks in its list of "The 25 Best Streamers Right Now". In December 2024, Watkins was nominated for and won the "Get Off Your A** Award (Best IRL Streamer)", "Best International Streamer", and "Streamer of the Year" awards of the
2024 Streamer Awards. Later that month he won the "Most Influential Soccer Creator" award of the
GOAL Champions Awards. On January 28, during his tour in Peru, he was declared an honorary
mayor of Lima for an hour by
Rafael López Aliaga, the city's mayor, who also declared him an "
ambassador of Lima". Later on February 14, 2025, Watkins participated in "Match for Hope 2025", a soccer charity event hosted in
Stadium 974, Qatar, as a co-captain for Team Chunkz & IShowSpeed, facing off against team
AboFlah & KSI. The match ended with team AboFlah & KSI's 6–5 victory over team Chunkz & IShowSpeed. The event managed to raise more than $10.7 million for charity. at the
Wembley Stadium in March 2025 On March 5, 2025, Watkins was featured on
CBS Sports Golazo's coverage of the
UEFA Champions League. Later on March 8, 2025, Watkins participated in the
2025 Sidemen Charity Match, held at
Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom. Serving as both captain and player for the YouTube Allstars team, he scored his first goal in the charity match series in the 56th minute, having failed to score in his previous two appearances. Watkins later secured victory for the YouTube Allstars by converting the decisive penalty in a
shoot-out. On March 18, 2025, Watkins announced that he would be doing a tour in
mainland China and
Mongolia. During his tour, Chinese
state media and Chinese netizens praised Watkins for "promoting positive relations between China and the United States". On May 5, 2025, Watkins was swatted at a
KFC store during a
Cinco de Mayo IRL livestream. On July 5, 2025, Watkins announced a second tour to Europe, he also began streaming on Twitch for the first time in four years. On July 9 Watkins visited Serbia and there he met
Baka Prase, who gave him a €30,000
Rolex as a gift. In Latvia, Watkins's behavior on the base of the
Freedom Monument and the payment of 30,000 euros from the
Investment and Development Agency of Latvia towards Watkins's travel expenses drew criticism from the Latvian public. Later on July 22, Watkins participated in the
MLS All-Star Skills Challenge, participating alongside
USMNT and
Orlando City player
Alex Freeman in the shooting and passing challenges, although his score was not counted towards the overall result. Watkins also presented
Houston Dynamo 2 goalkeeper Pedro Cruz with the winner's belt after his victory in the Goalie Wars event. On August 28, 2025, Watkins began the "Speed Does America" tour, a 35-day, 24/7 livestreaming trip across the United States, during which he streamed continuously on both YouTube and Twitch while visiting 25 states. That same month,
Rolling Stone named him its "Most Influential Creator of 2025". The tour concluded at the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where Watkins hosted the premiere of his five-part YouTube series
Speed Goes Pro. A number of celebrities attended the event, including
Justin Bieber,
Kim Kardashian,
Suni Lee,
DDG, and Randy Orton. Produced in part by
OBB Pictures and sponsored by
Dick's Sporting Goods, the show tracks Watkins as he attempts to reach the skill level of professional athletes in various sports by training with professional athletes such as
Tom Brady,
Suni Lee,
Nastia Liukin,
Joey Chestnut, and
Kevin Durant. Two purchasable outfits based on Watkins's likeness were added to
Fortnite Battle Royale on December 25, 2025. On December 29, 2025, Watkins began the "Speed Does Africa" tour, where he livestreamed visiting 20 African countries in 28 days. During his tour of Egypt, Watkins became the first content creator to stream inside the
Great Pyramid of Giza. While touring in
Nigeria, he celebrated his 21st birthday on January 21, 2026, while his YouTube channel surpassed 50 million subscribers that same day becoming the first black creator to reach the milestone. After his visit to
Ghana, it was announced that he had been granted Ghanaian citizenship. In February 2026,
Doritos released a limited-edition snack in collaboration with Watkins as part of the brand's "Flavor Swap" initiative. The product featured the "Cheddar & Sour Cream" flavor of
Ruffles on a traditional Doritos chip. On March 21, 2026, Watkins played in the inaugural
Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles against current and former
NFL players. On April 25, 2026, Watkins began his Caribbean Tour, where he livestreamed visiting 15 Caribbean countries. == Other ventures ==