‘Approaching seven figures’: How Newmarket’s Matt Kiatipis became a global basketball star overnight

Newmarket’s Matt Kiatipis has turned raw streetball clips into a booming online career, becoming a global basketball star with millions of followers.

Matt Kiatipis once thought his future depended on breaking into professional basketball but it was the raw, competitive streetball of the GTA that launched him into global stardom.

At age 25, his rise reflects how Canadians are spending more time on platforms that help turn homemade clips into a full-time career — backed by millions of followers.

Recent data from Environics Analytics shows 89 per cent of Canadians use at least one social media site weekly — part of a steady climb from 88 per cent in 2024 and 87 per cent in 2023.

Younger Canadians are increasingly following creators for everything from entertainment to politics. And with more Canadians turning digital content into side hustles or careers, the newly launched Canadian Influencers and Content Creators Association now estimates about 900,000 people nationwide work somewhere in the “creator economy.”

Matt, widely known online as “MK,” is one of the few creators who scaled that space to the global level — transforming streetball videos into a full-time job, international tours, and a business that he says brings in nearly seven figures a year.

“This is where I shine, no rules, just streetball. People I’m familiar with in my country… that’s exactly what happened. Things blew up from that day on forward," he told CTV News.

Growing up in the GTA with an NBA dream

Kiatipis, born in Newmarket, Ont. always believed he could make it to the NBA.

He played prep school basketball in North Carolina and later Division 2 basketball in the NCAA at Simon Fraser University, the lone Canadian university that competes in the NCAA.

Growing up, he said that he routinely competed against future pros, some of whom now play for the Toronto Raptors.

“I grew up playing against all these (NBA) guys, like RJ Barrett… I just saw him the other day, Andrew Nembhard… I bumped shoulders with him in Canada basketball, so I didn’t think I was far off,” he said.

But he also knew he didn’t fit the typical mold of a professional basketball player, standing just over six feet in height.

“I had that chip on my shoulder, I’m a shorter guy, I’m not as blessed with crazy genes, and I was always overlooked so I knew I had to take a little bit of a different route.”

The pandemic that changed everything

Kiatipis returned from Costa Rica during the COVID-19 pandemic and was inspired by other creators such as Kevon Watt, K-Showtime, another Canadian streetball personality with a large following on YouTube.

“K-Showtime was doing these videos and at the time, I was in Costa Rica playing professionally, and I said, when I get back to Canada, I’m going to find out which run he’s at… and I’m going to showcase my abilities with my own camera.”

His first big moment came at Markham’s Aaniin Community Centre.

At the time, creators like Kiatipis and Watt would post the location of a “park takeover” somewhere in the GTA, drawing hundreds of young people to watch and play streetball.

Kiatipis said that he quickly became a standout — often going viral for dunking on opponents and humiliating defenders across the region.

During those days he says pickup basketball transformed overnight.

“Before (COVID) when you went to the courts in Canada, it wasn’t that crazy… and just being at Markham at that time, hitting a few shots, everyone was surrounding me… cheering me on like it was an entertainment show. It was really awesome.”

What he created was part sport, part spectacle.

“It’s like WWE mixed with UFC…but put it into basketball; you have an entertaining one versus one where I travel the world playing anybody and everybody.”

Kiatipis said that unlike in organized basketball, trash talk has become a big part of his social identity.

“Trash talk is important...I’ve been trash talking since I was playing board games with my father… I have a chip on my shoulder. I love being competitive," he said.

Turning content into ‘over six figures’

The moment he realized it could be a business came quickly.

“When I put money in to go around the world, and we ended up getting paid, that’s when I was like, okay, this could be a business,” he said.

He built a small team, posted daily, and invested heavily in filming, and editing. All of which he says paid off immensely.

“Now, (we’re) over six figures for sure, he noted. “Approximately, this year (2025) is approaching seven figures.”

Still, he says his team remains intentionally small.

“We keep it really small, and that’s why we’re able to make the money we do, and do the activities we do,” he said.

“Since our Europe tour, we’ve been able to go anywhere and everywhere we want to, and those trips are now fully funded. My phone right now is full of contracts to go play everywhere.”

The Canadian disadvantage

At many moments throughout his career, Kiatipis says he was often overlooked because his northern background.

“I felt a little bit overlooked being Canadian… I definitely felt some sort of chip on their shoulders because the fact that I was Canadian. I wasn’t getting invited to certain things.”

Sometimes, abroad, he’s simply called American.

“Sometimes overseas, they think Canadians and Americans are the same, so they’ll just call you American.”

Experts say his climb reflects strategy as much as personality.

“He’s been purposeful in actually capitalizing on social media,” said Jenna Jacobson, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. “Audiences are really drawn towards creators who feel like peers… showing their emotions and humor and vulnerability.”

Jacobson said Canadian creators face structural disadvantages: fewer monetization tools, fewer platform programs, and heavier reliance on sponsorships.

“The influencer space is quite crowded. It’s not easy to make a living… Canadian content creators tend to rely more on direct brand collaborations and sponsorships.”

Still, Jacobson said success comes from effort, awareness of trends, and building products or services beyond social media.

Creating a new lane for others

For Kiatipis, this isn’t just content. It’s the creation of a new lane.

“1v1 basketball isn’t a sport. So we’re essentially creating a new sport. We’re bringing it around the world,” he said.

“This is not something that lives in one country. It’s global.”