Live streaming platform Twitch has continued to go from strength to strength. The service, which allows its users to stream and watch broadcasts of people playing games, performing music or doing day to day tasks, is so popular that it has more viewers than Netflix and HBO. But HBO and Netflix aren't the only two major media companies that Twitch is outperforming.

According to analyst Benjamin Schachter, of investment banking and financial service firm the Macquarie Group, Twitch is now managing to outperform CNN and MSNBC, the American cable news channels. Macquarie's data confirms that Twitch viewership set a new record in January 2018, reaching average concurrent viewership (people watching at the same time) of 962,000 viewers which is a 22% increase compared to January 2017 and is a 26% increase compared to December 2017.

In comparison, MSNBC drew 885,000 average daily viewership during 2017 and CNN got 783,000 average daily viewers. Meanwhile, FOX News Channel and ESPN receive 1.5 million average daily viewers through the year.

The strong performance of the livestreaming platform has led Schachter to reiterate the outperform rating on Amazon shares. Amazon purchased Twitch for almost $1 billion back in 2014 and it seems that this purchase is well and truly paying off for the online retail juggernaut.

Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds were singled out as two games that made a big influence on Twitch viewership in 2017. Fortnite fans have enjoyed watching streams of creative kills and record-breaking matches, while people have enjoyed watching tense PUBG shootouts and clever strategies. Less than 50% of the games that were in the top 10 most viewed in January 2017 were in the top 10 a year later.

Twitch's esports streams are in general seen as a big factor in its viewership figures. Schachter suggests that it's unclear which games will be the most popular and the most viewed over time. However, it should be noted that Twitch recently signed an exclusive Overwatch League streaming deal, so Overwatch fans at least will flock to the platform to watch the game's pros in action.

These weren't the only major movements that impacted Twitch's viewership last month, though. Twitch crashed when famed streamer Dr. Disrespect made his return after taking time off of the platform. Although the streamer's return was mired in controversy due to offensive remarks made during a broadcast, it seems that this didn't impact the initial viewership figures. Many Twitch viewers also tuned in after notorious League of Legends player Tyler1 was unbanned from the game; Tyler1's stream set a Twitch record.

The challenge moving forward will be sustaining these levels of viewership even if the popularity of huge figures like Dr. Disrespect and Tyler1 wanes and if Fortnite and PUBG fizzle out. The Twitch numbers are still impressive, however, and many in the traditional broadcast industry will be taking note.

Source: StreetInsider