Because if you're paying the streamer for their time and attention, they owe you something. But if you're paying the platform, you're buying a cheap beer to technically not be loitering so you can hang out with your popular friend who will try to make time to say hello.

Streaming is a service, right? You pay with your ad time or your dollars for that streamers time and if you're lucky or pay enough, their attention. Maybe this is cynical. Maybe you're paying for the platform to facilitate this hangout session with this content creator and like minded viewers.

Maybe I just don't get it. Every time I've tuned into somebody's stream I could only hear the dead air. The pauses while reading chat. The tone switches in thanking viewers who give them money. Is streaming taking advantage of a loneliness epidemic? Are chat boxes this generation's third place?

What does it mean for a content creator to be the best, is it just the most likeable? Is it a measure of work and commitment? Is it a measure of impact on gamers/gaming?

your favorite streamers are funny and likeable and enviable and hot and will give you attention, do not attack me on a strangers behalf plz, but most streamers do little more than turn on a webcam and put on a personality, right? Is this work as deserving of an award as making a video game? Idk.

Do streamers/youtubers have too much of a voice in the games people make or balance? Does a loud minority of people with a parroting audience destroy comp game balance or get games review bombed or encourage gambling or etc. why does the game awards have a best 'content creator' category?

Would those people be more likely to buy the game if they couldn't watch someone play the entire thing or would they just never play it regardless or maybe even never have heard of it. Does the free advertising bring in more sales than it might lose?