Content creator-turned rapper DDG recently sparked an online debate on X after he claimed professional streamers are balling on more cash than the many of the professional sportspersons. He wasn’t talking about any mid-tier sports player but the richest league, NFL, players.
It is no surprise that, coming in 2026, streamers have become the new faces of entertainment. Streamers like Adin Ross and Kai Cenat have insane motion and mint millions of dollars annually. However, saying that they are at the level above NFL players seems like a great topic of debate.
DDG Says Streamers Earn More Than NFL Players
On February 4, 2026, DDG posted, “Streamers make more money than 95% of the of the NFL.” The NFL is seen as the pinnacle for a sportsperson’s purse; it is the richest league, and players often get big contracts. However, slowly and steadily, the spotlight has been shifting toward streamers. Fans can see them in almost every big event, sharing stages and chairs with big Hollywood stars, rappers, sportspersons, etc.
While the average salary of an NFL player is approximately $5.2 million, top-tier creators generate revenue much higher than this. Streamers, including Ninja and Kai Cenat, earn more than $10 million annually. Just recently, Kai Cenat raised over $1 million during his “Mafiathon 3” to build a school in Nigeria.
Moreover, 3 years ago, Kick signed xQc with a groundbreaking $100 million deal. Even though it was just $50-$60 million in liquid, it is still almost 10x more than what an NFL player, on average, gets.
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Many fans agreed with DDG’s comment; however, some disagreed, pointing out the net worth of players like Tom Brady, and often how competitive the actual streaming industry is to make a name and bag this big number.
DDG Says He And Kai Cenat Can Pull A Bigger Crowd Than Hollywood A-listers
Comparing streamers’ salaries to NFL professionals was not the only comparison DDG made on X. A few days earlier, the American rapper claimed he and Kai Cenat could get a bigger meet and greet crowd than Hollywood stars.
Later during the stream, while talking on this topic, he said he can gather a larger crowd than the face of ‘Fast And Furious,’ Vin Diesel. He said, “If Vin Diesel tweets an address and I tweet an address, whose shit mo’ lit, bruh? Keep it a buck…. Me or Vin Diesel?”
After that, he also mentioned MCU’s Thor, Chris Hemsworth. “If Chris Hemsworth tweets an address and says, meet me in the middle of New York, and Kai tweets at the same time and they’re in two different parts of New York, who’s pulling up to what?”
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DDG even concluded with he hope these stars do see his clip and do a meet and greet to affirm his claims. For reference how much crowd streamers can draw, back in 2023, Kai Cenat actually did meet and great in New York and was later detained due to the chaos caused by his thousands of fans. Still, saying they can pull more than Hollywood stars has a little astrix.
