IShowSpeed gets featured in 'thank you' billboards in Changsha, China after his viral IRL stream

YouTube star Darren "IShowSpeed" has gone viral for his IRL streaming tour in China. On April 8, 2025, clips of billboards thanking him in the city of Changsha began popping up on social media. For context, one of his recent broadcasts in the country took place in Changsha, and it seems people are expressing their gratitude to him with massive billboards featuring his likeness.

A clip that went viral on X shows billboards in both Chinese and English featuring an animated version of IShowSpeed, with the words "Speed, thank you from Changsha" and "@IShowSpeed introducing China to the world."

After the clips and images spread widely on X, fans expressed excitement at the sight of the content creator being featured on giant billboards.

"Yo speed actually like an icon out there 🔥," a fan wrote.

"China shows more love than the west," another claimed.

"They said global peace starts with a bark and a backflip," a user quipped.

Some pointed out that the animated version of IShowSpeed on the billboards makes him look like a character from a Disney or Pixar movie.

"They gave him the Disney Pixar look,"none X user wrote.

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Chinese embassy in US has shared clips from IShowSpeed's stream on social media

While it is unknown exactly who is funding these billboards in Changsha, it is clear that IShowSpeed has caught the attention of the Chinese government. The 20-year-old began his streaming journey in the country last month, and after just a few days, the official X account of the Chinese embassy in the US mentioned him by name in a post sharing clips from his stream in Shanghai.

They wrote:

"The 20-year-old popular American YouTuber #IShowSpeed @ishowspeedsuii has kicked off a journey in #China that has already garnered massive global attention, which indicates a broader trend of digital influencers bridging cultural gaps and creating alternative channels for foreign audiences to understand a vibrant China. 🇨🇳#240hourvisafree #chinatravel"

This wasn’t the only time the X account has mentioned IShowSpeed in the past few weeks. After the YouTuber visited the Love Ladder, they reposted his video from the tourist destination and dropped a one-word reaction on X.

The streamer has also appeared on national news channels in China, with BRTV posting a video of his heartwarming response to a Chinese fan who was cyberbullied because of her voice.

All of this attention has led many in the community to speculate that the Chinese government has been paying IShowSpeed to visit the country. However, one of his team members has firmly denied these rumors.