Stream Hatchet, a leading authority in streaming analytics, has unveiled its highly anticipated report titled “Video Game Live Streaming Trends” covering the entirety of 2023. This comprehensive report provides valuable insights into the dynamic landscape of the streaming industry, offering key highlights and trends observed throughout the year.
Platform Dominance
Twitch continues to assert its dominance in the streaming arena, maintaining a commanding lead with approximately 5.5 billion hours of content generated per quarter.
In comparison, YouTube trails behind with 1.2 billion hours per quarter, while platforms like AfreecaTv and Kick lag significantly with around 270 million hours. Despite Kick’s emergence as a potential contender, it still has a long way to go to rival Twitch’s influence.
Genre Insights
First Person Shooter (FPS) games narrowly retain their supremacy, accounting for 4.7 billion hours of content, closely followed by Action games with 4.2 billion hours.
Valorant emerges as a standout title within the FPS genre, capturing a remarkable 24% market share, while GTAV dominates the Action genre with an astonishing 35.2% share, overshadowing competitors like Minecraft.
MOBA Genre and Decline
MOBA games occupy the third position in terms of hours watched, with 3.1 billion hours, experiencing a slight decline of 5% compared to the previous year. League of Legends continues to command a staggering 50% share of the hours generated within this genre.
Gaming vs. Non-Gaming Content
On platforms like Twitch and YouTube, gaming content dominates, accounting for 82% and 15% of the content, respectively. While Twitch aims to diversify its content offerings, YouTube’s broader content spectrum contributes to its resilience and growth.
Streamer Performance
Spanish streamers, although prominent, have seen fluctuations in their viewership. Ibai remains a frontrunner despite a 7% decrease in average viewership, while AuronPlay experiences a significant 42% decline attributed to past controversies. Illo Juan sees a marginal 2% increase in viewership.
Top Games of 2023
Diablo IV emerges as the standout title of 2023, amassing an impressive 168 million hours of viewing in its debut month, surpassing other highly anticipated releases such as Zelda, Baldurs Gate 3, EA FC, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and Hogwarts Legacy.
Esports Audience Growth
The esports audience witnessed a remarkable 9% growth in 2023, totaling 2.5 billion hours. This significant increase underscores the enduring popularity and continued expansion of the esports industry, dispelling any doubts about its future trajectory.