Viewership on Twitch Skyrocketed in 2020
Twitch, the popular streaming platform, experienced an unprecedented growth in viewership in 2020. Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, Twitch saw over 18 billion hours watched throughout the year, marking a remarkable 65% increase compared to the previous year, according to Twitch analytics site SullyGnome.
Fortnite’s Boom vs. Twitch’s Success
Even the highly popular game Fortnite, with its booming viewership in 2018 led by streamer Ninja, did not reach the same level of growth. In 2018, Fortnite accumulated over 1.3 billion hours watched, resulting in a 40% increase in viewership. In comparison, Twitch’s 2020 viewership surpassed 18 billion hours watched.
New Games and Just Chatting Dominate
In addition to the massive increase in viewership in the Just Chatting category, new games that made their mark on Twitch contributed to the platform’s success in 2020. Despite the cancellation of many in-person events due to the pandemic, Twitch had one of its most successful years ever.
Top 10 Most-Watched Content and Just Chatting’s Dominance
According to SullyGnome, here are the top 10 most-watched content on Twitch in 2020. Just Chatting emerged as the top category, with over 1.9 billion hours watched, surpassing its viewership in the previous year. This category’s popularity stems from its flexibility, as it serves as an intermission between games and allows streamers to engage with their viewers.
VALORANT: The Breakout Game of 2020
VALORANT, a tactical shooter game developed by Riot Games, made waves on Twitch when its beta was released in early 2020. Many top personalities attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers, and the game reached a peak of 1.7 million concurrent viewers in April. Despite a decline in interest as the year progressed, VALORANT maintained a steady base of viewers and achieved 808 million hours watched, making it the fifth most-watched content on Twitch in 2020.
What’s to Come in 2021?
While the COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in the increased viewership on Twitch in 2020, it remains uncertain whether this trend will continue in 2021. Categories like Just Chatting, which experienced tremendous growth, may not see a repeat performance this year. As the world starts to return to a more normal flow of events, the viewership in all categories may taper in correlation with any changes in the COVID-19 infection rate.