diff --git a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Gameplay/TestSceneReplayRecorder.cs b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Gameplay/TestSceneReplayRecorder.cs
index 88a4024576..71cd39953c 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Gameplay/TestSceneReplayRecorder.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Tests/Visual/Gameplay/TestSceneReplayRecorder.cs
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
-using Microsoft.AspNetCore.SignalR.Client;
-using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
 using NUnit.Framework;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
@@ -264,25 +262,13 @@ namespace osu.Game.Tests.Visual.Gameplay
 
         internal class TestReplayRecorder : ReplayRecorder<TestAction>
         {
-            private readonly SpectatorClient client;
-
             public TestReplayRecorder(Replay target)
                 : base(target)
             {
-                var connection = new HubConnectionBuilder()
-                                 .WithUrl("http://localhost:5009/spectator")
-                                 .AddMessagePackProtocol()
-                                 // .ConfigureLogging(logging => { logging.AddConsole(); })
-                                 .Build();
-
-                connection.StartAsync().Wait();
-
-                client = new SpectatorClient(connection);
             }
 
             protected override ReplayFrame HandleFrame(Vector2 mousePosition, List<TestAction> actions, ReplayFrame previousFrame)
             {
-                client.SendFrames(new FrameDataBundle(new[] { new LegacyReplayFrame(Time.Current, mousePosition.X, mousePosition.Y, ReplayButtonState.None) }));
                 return new TestReplayFrame(Time.Current, mousePosition, actions.ToArray());
             }
         }
diff --git a/osu.Game/Online/Spectator/SpectatorClient.cs b/osu.Game/Online/Spectator/SpectatorStreamingClient.cs
similarity index 58%
rename from osu.Game/Online/Spectator/SpectatorClient.cs
rename to osu.Game/Online/Spectator/SpectatorStreamingClient.cs
index 4558699618..a1a4a2774a 100644
--- a/osu.Game/Online/Spectator/SpectatorClient.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/Online/Spectator/SpectatorStreamingClient.cs
@@ -3,24 +3,70 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.SignalR.Client;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
+using osu.Framework.Allocation;
+using osu.Framework.Bindables;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics;
+using osu.Game.Online.API;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Online.Spectator
 {
-    public class SpectatorClient : ISpectatorClient
+    public class SpectatorStreamingClient : Component, ISpectatorClient
     {
-        private readonly HubConnection connection;
+        private HubConnection connection;
 
         private readonly List<string> watchingUsers = new List<string>();
 
-        public SpectatorClient(HubConnection connection)
-        {
-            this.connection = connection;
+        private readonly IBindable<APIState> apiState = new Bindable<APIState>();
 
-            // this is kind of SILLY
-            // https://github.com/dotnet/aspnetcore/issues/15198
+        [Resolved]
+        private APIAccess api { get; set; }
+
+        [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
+        private void load()
+        {
+            apiState.BindTo(api.State);
+            apiState.BindValueChanged(apiStateChanged, true);
+        }
+
+        private void apiStateChanged(ValueChangedEvent<APIState> state)
+        {
+            switch (state.NewValue)
+            {
+                case APIState.Failing:
+                case APIState.Offline:
+                    connection?.StopAsync();
+                    connection = null;
+                    break;
+
+                case APIState.Online:
+                    connect();
+                    break;
+            }
+        }
+
+#if DEBUG
+        private const string endpoint = "http://localhost:5009/spectator";
+#else
+        private const string endpoint = "https://spectator.ppy.sh/spectator";
+#endif
+
+        private void connect()
+        {
+            connection = new HubConnectionBuilder()
+                         .WithUrl(endpoint, options =>
+                         {
+                             options.Headers.Add("Authorization", $"Bearer {api.AccessToken}");
+                         })
+                         .AddMessagePackProtocol()
+                         .Build();
+
+            // until strong typed client support is added, each method must be manually bound (see https://github.com/dotnet/aspnetcore/issues/15198)
             connection.On<string, int>(nameof(ISpectatorClient.UserBeganPlaying), ((ISpectatorClient)this).UserBeganPlaying);
             connection.On<string, FrameDataBundle>(nameof(ISpectatorClient.UserSentFrames), ((ISpectatorClient)this).UserSentFrames);
             connection.On<string, int>(nameof(ISpectatorClient.UserFinishedPlaying), ((ISpectatorClient)this).UserFinishedPlaying);
+
+            connection.StartAsync();
         }
 
         Task ISpectatorClient.UserBeganPlaying(string userId, int beatmapId)
diff --git a/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs b/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs
index 2d609668af..9b43d18a88 100644
--- a/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs
+++ b/osu.Game/OsuGameBase.cs
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ using osu.Game.Database;
 using osu.Game.Input;
 using osu.Game.Input.Bindings;
 using osu.Game.IO;
+using osu.Game.Online.Spectator;
 using osu.Game.Overlays;
 using osu.Game.Resources;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets;
@@ -74,6 +75,8 @@ namespace osu.Game
 
         protected IAPIProvider API;
 
+        private SpectatorStreamingClient spectatorStreaming;
+
         protected MenuCursorContainer MenuCursorContainer;
 
         protected MusicController MusicController;
@@ -189,9 +192,9 @@ namespace osu.Game
             dependencies.Cache(SkinManager = new SkinManager(Storage, contextFactory, Host, Audio, new NamespacedResourceStore<byte[]>(Resources, "Skins/Legacy")));
             dependencies.CacheAs<ISkinSource>(SkinManager);
 
-            API ??= new APIAccess(LocalConfig);
+            dependencies.CacheAs(API ??= new APIAccess(LocalConfig));
 
-            dependencies.CacheAs(API);
+            dependencies.CacheAs(spectatorStreaming = new SpectatorStreamingClient());
 
             var defaultBeatmap = new DummyWorkingBeatmap(Audio, Textures);