One of the most talked-about ads from Super Bowl LVIII was Verizon‘s commercial featuring Beyoncé. The pop icon used the moment to announce a new album and drop two new songs, and she also sparked a separate debate: Does she actually stream on Twitch?
In the ad, actor Tony Hale challenges Beyoncé to test the speed of Verizon’s 5G internet. She responds by firing up a Twitch account called IAmSlayoncé, where she streams without any lag or buffering.
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As it turns out, the IAmSlayoncé account is totally real. It has zero past broadcasts, so Beyoncé may be waiting for her perfect moment to go live.
Sasha Fierce hasn’t confirmed her gamer credentials, but a different Sasha chimed in on the Verizon ad. Actress Sasha Grey defended Beyoncé’s unusual streaming setup. “Haters will say her fingers aren’t even on WASD,” Grey wrote. “But it’s ok, she’s Slayoncé.”
As far as I’m concerned, Beyoncé’s incorrect hand placement is hardly the biggest question mark associated with her Twitch presence. Someone less famous than Beyoncé may have squatted on the IAmSlayoncé account after that username appeared in the Verizon ad. There’s some evidence behind that theory, since a trip through the Wayback Machine reveals no previous caches on the page.
The owner of IAmSlayoncé may be a mystery, but that hasn’t stopped the BeyHive from flocking to their idol’s purported streaming home. At the time of this post, the IAmSlayoncé account has more than 50,000 followers. Only someone as powerful as Beyoncé could get 50,000 of her fans to stare at a blank screen.
If Beyoncé ends up giving Twitch a go, she would join a growing group of A-listers who have tried out the Amazon-owned streaming service. Nicki Minaj, for example, appeared alongside Twitch star Kai Cenat as part of the promotional tour for her new album. LeBron James has speculated that he could be the next celeb to start streaming, and both Twitch and Kick have vied for his services.
The start of Beyoncé’s streaming career would trigger a massive bidding war of its own. Her video game career still feels like a long shot to me, but she does have a new album coming out. Imagine how excited those 50,000 followers would be if they got an exclusive preview.
