Although Twitch is the head honcho for viewing and creating video game broadcasts, streaming in general is an accessible and popular form of online entertainment these days. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing a spike in internet usage, which included streaming, there has seemingly been a rise in people either performing live or watching others perform, as well as engaging with the corresponding communities. However, research has shown that this pastime has seen a decrease in growth across all platforms.
Statistics in a recent report from Streamlabs show which video game publishers are being watched the most, the top categories, as well as growth since last year. With regard to the latter, the report states that all platforms, which include Twitch, Facebook Gaming, and YouTube Gaming Live, have seen a drop in total hours watched, with only the former experiencing a bit of a growth when compared to the last quarter.
Given its sheer dominance over the streaming market, it's probably not too surprising that the Amazon-owned service is the only one that has seen an increase since the previous quarter, even if it's below figures from this time last year. The other two sites pale in comparison to the purple platform, with some popular streamers like Dr Disrespect and Asmongold criticizing YouTube Gaming. Even if that platform and Facebook Gaming pick up the pace, there's still a long way to go before they can catch up to the might of Twitch.
Why there's been a decline can be attested to the fact that, as the report says, the pandemic is "winding down," with people generally returning to some semblance of normality. Besides this, a recent story shows that five Twitch streamers are moving over to YouTube Gaming, something which has also happened in the past, and could be a contributing factor to the decline in growth since last year.
On top of that, Twitch may also be considering new payment structures, which could see streamers earning less money from subscriptions and more for ads. Whether this will have a negative effect if it does come to pass remains to be seen. Of course, Twitch is still the streaming behemoth, often the first choice for many who are looking to start broadcasting, but it's possible that the spike in viewership is starting to peter out now, especially as lockdowns across the globe have largely been lifted.
Source: Streamlabs