Streaming Platforms Experience Year-Over-Year Growth in 2020
Streaming platforms are engaged in a battle to secure deals with content creators, and according to StreamElements’ research, all four major platforms saw year-over-year growth in January 2020. This information comes from StreamElements’ monthly “State of the Stream” report produced in partnership with Arsenal.gg, a livestream data company.
Increased Viewership Across the Industry
The report reveals that the total hours watched across the industry increased by 17 percent compared to January 2019. In January 2020, the industry reached a milestone of 498,854,355 hours watched, up from 342,386,869 hours watched the previous year.
“Livestreaming is continuing to gain momentum as a powerful force in the games industry,” says StreamElements CEO Doron Nir. He adds, “While some platforms are experiencing faster growth than others, the overall increase in viewership ensures that there are opportunities for content creators to engage fans, generate revenue, and monetize their channels.”
Growth Among Major Platforms
All four major platforms, namely Twitch, YouTube Gaming, Facebook Gaming, and Mixer, saw an increase in viewership. Twitch led the pack with 842,533,849 hours watched in January 2020, compared to 802.4 million hours watched in January 2019.
Facebook had the most notable increase, surpassing Mixer in terms of viewership. In January 2019, Facebook had only 25 million hours watched, whereas in January 2020, it reached over 110 million hours watched. While Mixer also experienced growth, it was not as substantial as YouTube and Facebook. In January 2019, Mixer had 29.8 million hours watched, increasing to 30.4 million hours watched in January 2020.
Surprisingly, Mixer’s efforts to attract popular content creators from Twitch, such as shroud and Ninja, did not result in significant growth in hours watched.
Game Viewership Highlights
In terms of game viewership, Escape from Tarkov made a prominent impact in January. An in-game drop event with Twitch propelled the game to become the third most-watched category on the platform. The game saw a remarkable 262 percent increase in viewership, surpassing all other titles.
While League of Legends and “Just Chatting” remained at the top of the Twitch charts with increased viewership, Fortnite experienced a decline of 19 percent. Many top content creators shifted their focus to Escape from Tarkov.
“Although Fortnite has witnessed a decline in hours watched over the past couple of years, it still maintains significant viewership,” says Nir. He believes that as long as the game continues to release fresh content and host new events, it will remain a popular choice among viewers.
Content Creator Domination
In terms of content creators, Escape from Tarkov dominated the month of January. Summit1g and Pestily claimed the top two spots for hours watched. Other prominent influencers like DrLupo, xQc, Tfue, and Dr Disrespect also spent a considerable amount of time playing the game.
This growth in viewership across streaming platforms signifies the continued rise of livestreaming as a vital part of the gaming industry.
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