Like many streamers, Michelle Statham goes live for four to five hours daily, playing online with friends while fans and gaming community members watch along. Statham usually streams “Call of Duty: Warzone,” and at 56 years old, she’s one of the oldest female streamers out there.
“Gaming can be super competitive, but when you livestream and play with her, it becomes really rewarding and fun” Michelle shared.
Of course, Statham doesn’t hit the massive numbers that younger, flashier streamers do. But after her story blew up on TikTok, she was thrilled to gain 300,000 new subscribers in just a few days, a huge achievement for a streamer her age.
There’s a reason Statham chose this path in her late 50s, with three kids and two grandkids. She was a big fan of console games and even addicted at one point. But everything changed when she developed arthritis in her thumb, making it painful to use a standard game controller.
“So my husband was like, ‘Why don’t we get a PC? Then it’ll be fun learning mouse and keyboard, plus you can livestream’” Statham explained.
At first, Statham thought she was too introverted to stream and was sure no one would want to watch her. Her husband pointed out that if no one tuned in, it wouldn’t hurt anything. Now, less than two years later, her daily routine includes waking up at 7 a.m. most days to prepare for a 9 a.m. Facebook livestream, where she has over 66,000 followers.
Some streamers with millions of followers on other platforms earn hundreds of thousands online through subscriptions, donations, ad revenue, and merchandise sales. Like most streamers, Statham sells merch, you can grab a TacticalGramma hoodie or tee, and she also accepts donations. So far, she says the money she’s made has helped her invest in new streaming gear.
