Pioneering Game Streaming in Iran: Overcoming Cultural Resistance and Building a New Digital Community
In late 2017, when I took on the roles of Project Manager for Aparat Live and later Product Marketing Manager for Aparat Game, live game streaming in Iran was virtually non-existent as a mainstream activity.
Gaming itself carried a heavy stigma: many families viewed it as a waste of time for children and teenagers, akin to how rap music was once seen as an underground, rebellious subculture. Streaming was even more niche—mostly limited to a small group of affluent young people who streamed on international platforms like Twitch, where Iranian viewers were scarce due to internet restrictions, high latency, and payment barriers from sanctions.
The broader Iranian society had little awareness or acceptance of streaming as entertainment, let alone a potential career. Parents often discouraged kids from spending hours in front of screens, associating it with laziness rather than creativity or community-building. This cultural barrier made launching Aparat Live (the first dedicated video streaming service in Iran) and Aparat Game (the country’s pioneering online game streaming platform) one of the most challenging yet rewarding endeavors in my 15+ years in digital marketing and product launches.
The Underground Beginnings: Bringing Twitch Streamers Home
One of the biggest hurdles was the lack of local content creators and audience. Most skilled Iranian gamers, particularly in titles like Dota 2, were active on Twitch but had tiny domestic audiences. To bootstrap the ecosystem, I personally reached out to prominent Iranian Twitch streamers, starting with Amir PhanThom, a well-known professional Dota 2 player and one of the most followed Persian streamers on the platform at the time.
I offered him a monthly sponsorship contract that included covering high-speed internet costs—a significant expense in Iran—along with incentives to simulcast his streams on Aparat alongside Twitch. The goal was simple but ambitious: encourage these creators to inform their existing followers about the local platform, gradually shifting attention and building a native Iranian community.
This strategy paid off quickly. By bridging the gap between international and domestic platforms, we introduced many Iranian viewers to live streaming for the first time.
Education and Community-Building: From Tutorials to Monthly Meetups
To overcome the knowledge gap—most potential users didn’t even know how to stream—I personally recorded and uploaded educational videos on Aparat. These tutorials covered everything from setting up streaming software on PC and mobile devices to best practices for engaging audiences. These free resources lowered the entry barrier dramatically and empowered beginners to start their own channels.
Building trust was equally important. I initiated monthly meetings with Iranian streamers who had migrated from Twitch to Aparat, as well as newcomers launching their first streams. These sessions became safe spaces to discuss challenges, technical needs, and ideas for improvement. Over time, this fostered a genuine sense of family and belonging—turning Aparat Live and Aparat Game into more than just platforms, but supportive communities.
Breaking Taboos: Panels, Tournaments, and Cultural Normalization
Cultural perception changed most visibly through public engagement. At the Telecom Exhibition 2019, we organized a dedicated panel featuring gamers, streamers, and even their family members. The discussions openly addressed concerns: parents shared initial skepticism about “wasting time,” while streamers explained the creativity, social connections, and potential income involved. This transparency helped demystify the space and gain broader family acceptance.
We also ran tournaments like Streamer of the Year and Most Popular Streamer of the Year, which generated excitement and legitimacy. Social media channels for Aparat Game were actively managed to amplify these events, while collaborations with the Iran Computer Games Foundation brought official endorsement.
Milestones of Transformation: Donations, Professionalization, and Diversity
Within months, the culture shifted noticeably. Donations (donuts or donits in local parlance) became hugely popular, enabling streamers to earn real income. This sparked the birth of local donation platforms and turned streaming into a viable primary job for some creators.
One memorable moment was arranging a radio interview for one of our streamers from Dezful in southern Iran, discussing streaming as a legitimate profession—something unimaginable just a year earlier.
Perhaps most rewarding was the influx of female gamers. Prior to 2018, female participation in gaming and streaming was minimal due to cultural norms and societal expectations. With Aparat Game’s inclusive approach, women began streaming openly with cameras on, facing and overcoming restrictions. This helped normalize gaming for all genders and ages—children, teens, young adults, and even older viewers joined as both streamers and audiences.
In just six months, we reached 100 concurrent streams—a remarkable figure for a society that previously had no concept of live game streaming. One of our streamers broke the one-million total views milestone, leading to the creation of the “Aparat Millionaires Club” for top creators.
From Niche to Mainstream: The Lasting Impact
Before Aparat Game, Aparat Live primarily served commercial clients—such as simulcasting Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2018 on samsung.com/iran (due to YouTube being filtered), The Game Awards 2017, and the Oscars 2018. With the launch of game-focused streaming, we democratized the technology, enabling private and public events to reach audiences not just across Iran, but worldwide.
Today, I proudly consider myself a father of game streaming in Iran. Through strategic sponsorships, education, community engagement, and bold public outreach, we transformed an underground activity into a recognized cultural phenomenon. Families that once saw gaming as time-wasting now support children pursuing it as passion or profession.
This experience reinforced a core lesson: real innovation in emerging markets often requires not just technology, but cultural courage and persistent relationship-building.
Mehrdad Oliaee – Digital Product & Marketing Leader | Led Launches of Aparat Live & Aparat Game | 15+ Years Shaping Iran’s Digital Ecosystem