Gaming is going mainstream, according to professional gamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins. And thanks to the strategic acquisition of live-streaming video game platform Twitch Interactive, Amazon stands profit from it.
"I think that Amazon made an incredible play with the Twitch purchase," Blevins said on CNBC's "Squawk Alley."
"Twitch is just obviously on the up-and-up right now."
Blevins might be the most popular player on Fortnite, an online multiplayer game that's sweeping the web. The 26-year-old has neon blue hair, a vibrant personality to match and boasts some serious gaming skills. In a month, Blevins can earn $500,000 or more, much of it from platforms, like Twitch, where fans can subscribe to watch him play live. And he takes on some pretty high profile competition.
On Wednesday, Blevins played rapper Drake in Fortnite. The stream attracted more than 628,000 viewers and broke a Twitch record for most concurrent viewers in a non-tournament stream.
When Amazon acquired Twitch for $970 million in 2014, it seemed like a huge gamble. But with the increasing popularity of professional gamers like Blevins and games, like Fortnite, that gamble is finally starting to pay off.
"You see people like Drake, Travis Scott, all of these people are starting to feel like it's okay to play video games now and let people know about it," Blevins said. "Amazon definitely made the right play."
On Monday, Amazon took another step into the gaming business with the launch of Amazon GameOn. Announced on Monday, the cloud service will help developers add competitions and giveaways into video games, creating a level of gaming more conducive to amateurs.
"It's always been very expensive for new gamers to come in and try to start doing this and compete against people who are very well off and well practiced," Blevins said. "Amazon creating GameOn could be a very good introduction into competitive gaming."