Live streaming 24/7 for fifteen days in a row.
That’s what Danish Twitch streamer Rasmus Søndergaard is attempting to accomplish with his much-discussed marathon streaming project.
This livestream has broken records across Denmark and been the subject of much online buzz, but it has also been at the centre of a fair bit of controversy.
Sønderthon 2.0
The project, called Sønderthon 2.0, sees Rasmus Søndergaard livestreaming from a castle in southern Zealand 24/7. Viewers can follow him all day for a total of fifteen days.This is a sequel to the first Sønderthon, which was held at the same time last year.
Throughout the marathon streaming session, he features a long list of celebrity guests, including musicians like Christopher and Anne Linnet, comedian and actor Casper Christensen, and boxer Mikkel Kessler.
Of course, Søndergaard sleeps through the night, when the stream is handed over to fellow streamers Wendel and Aggo, who take the night shifts.
Record-breaking numbers
The livestream has already broken the record for the most simultaneous viewers on a Danish livestream twice.
This occurred both at launch, when Søndergaard beat his own record with over 60,000 viewers, and later on the same day, when he set a new record with over 80,000 simultaneous viewers.
Once the marathon is over, it is expected to take the record for the longest Danish live production of all time as well.
Controversies are rife
However, a fairly significant controversy has also emerged from the project, centred around the main sponsor of the stream: Red Bull.
In Denmark, it is illegal to advertise energy drinks to people under the age of 18.It was discovered that during the last Sønderthon, roughly 20% of viewers were under the age of 18.
Therefore, the Danish Consumer Council has asked the Danish Consumer Ombudsman to look into whether Red Bull is breaking the rules when they advertise their products on Søndergaard’s streams.
Søndergaard has made it clear that the stream is not intended for anyone under the age of 18, something that is also made clear when you log onto the stream to watch.
However, it appears that many viewers have treated this warning and age restriction as a joke, with the stream often featuring sarcastic “18+” comments.
