Twitch and Facebook Gaming Experience Strong Growth Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
According to StreamElements and Arsenal, Twitch and Facebook Gaming have witnessed significant growth during Q2 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced people to stay indoors and follow social distancing guidelines set by governments worldwide.
Twitch Sees 60% Year-Over-Year Increase in Hours Watched in June
Twitch experienced a remarkable 60% year-over-year boost in hours watched for the month of June, reaching a total of 1.5 billion hours. This surge in viewership is noteworthy compared to the beginning of the year, when the platform had approximately one billion hours watched. One of the key contributors to this growth was the Just Chatting category, which emerged as the platform’s top category.
Facebook Gaming Witnesses a 200% Year-Over-Year Surge in June
Furthermore, Facebook Gaming observed a 200% year-over-year increase, with 334 million hours watched in June, up from 111 million. This growth can be attributed to Facebook’s partnership with Mixer, as the platform sought to bring in content creators following Mixer’s closure.
Increase in Viewership Supported by New Game Releases
The launch of popular games like Call of Duty: Warzone and VALORANT contributed to the overall growth in livestream viewership. Twitch experienced a 56% growth in viewership quarter-over-quarter, with Warzone accounting for nearly 70 million additional hours watched in June compared to January. VALORANT also generated approximately 47 million hours watched in June.
As social distancing measures begin to ease in various locations, it remains uncertain how online livestream viewership will be affected in the latter half of the year. While a slight decline may be expected, considering that streaming has become a primary source of entertainment for many people, it is unclear if there will be a significant decrease in Q3 or Q4.