IShowSpeed: TIME100 Creators 2025
In the 70-year history of CBS Sports, the list of august broadcasters who have held a network microphone is longer than a par-5 at Augusta: the likes of Jack Whitaker, Pat Summerall, Vin Scully, Greg Gumbel, and now, IShowSpeed, a 20-year-old YouTuber with more than 40 million subscribers, known for his enthusiastic support of soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Okay, maybe august doesn't quite describe IShowSpeed, a.k.a. Cincinnati-native Darren Jason Watkins Jr., who also boasts more than 41 million followers on TikTok and 36.5 million on Instagram. But CBS invited IShowSpeed to its set during its May multiplatform coverage of the Champions League final between Paris-Saint Germain and Inter Milan: the network's embrace of his high-octane personality speaks to his growing clout—and the continued convergence of old and new media platforms and personalities that isn't ending anytime soon.
IShowSpeed won Streamer of the Year at the 2024 Streamer Awards, and in May, FIFA president Gianni Infantino himself pulled up to the creator's home to plug the upcoming Club World Cup, being held in the United States, during a livestream. Who needs the other one more: soccer or IShowSpeed? The answer is none too clear.
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Write to Sean Gregory at sean.gregory@time.com.
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