Twitch Viewership Declines as Kick and YouTube gain Ground

As a dedicated gamer for years, I’ve always turned to Twitch for my live-streaming needs. It’s been the go-to platform for so long, holding the crown of highest viewership. Yet, even in the year 2024, it still reigns supreme. However, there’s a shift happening. Competitors like YouTube and Kick are steadily gaining ground, while Twitch seems to be losing some of its market share. According to the latest Stream Hatchet report, they’ve taken a substantial hit compared to these rising platforms.

Twitch Losing Viewership Dominance

Year-over-year comparison shows that Twitch’s market share has dropped approximately 10%. In Q2 of 2023, Twitch controlled over 70% of the market share. However, as of this year, it has decreased to around 60%. This decrease in Twitch’s market share is attributed to growth in Kick and YouTube Gaming. Currently, YouTube Gaming holds the second position with a 23% market share, marking a substantial 6% increase compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, Kick has also experienced a significant rise, capturing 5.5% of the market share and recording 462 million hours watched.

Kick and YouTube climb closer

As someone who spends a significant amount of time watching content on various streaming platforms, I must say that Twitch has been one of my go-to platforms for live gaming and entertainment. However, this year, I’ve noticed a shift in the platform’s performance. The hours watched on Twitch have decreased by 5%, making it the only top five streaming service to experience such a decline. As someone who values quality content and community engagement, I find this trend concerning. It’s not just about market share; the drop in viewership indicates a potential loss of interest among viewers, which could impact the livelihoods of streamers and the overall vibrancy of the Twitch community. As a regular user, I hope that Twitch can address these concerns and work towards regaining its former popularity.

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but notice an impressive surge in viewership on YouTube Gaming and Kick – two platforms that, while not as massive as Twitch, are certainly making waves! YouTube Gaming experienced a whopping 50% increase, with a staggering 2 billion hours watched. On the other hand, Kick saw phenomenal growth of 163%, reaching 462 million hours watched. Steam also joined the top six with an impressive 138 million hours watched. It’s fascinating to see these platforms grow and evolve in the gaming community!

In Q2 2024, Rumble, a live streaming platform, outpaced Facebook Live in viewership with an impressive 122 million hours watched, making it the seventh most-watched platform. Unlike its competitors, Rumble’s top channels primarily focus on talk shows, news broadcasts, and political analysis.

As the United States prepares for its November elections, video platform Rumble has experienced a notable surge in political viewership. Terms such as Biden, Trump, and debates were among the most frequently searched, making up almost a third of all views during the presidential debate held in late June 2024.

Top Streamers

Among all streaming platforms, Kai Cenat reigned supreme with a massive viewership of 43.8 million households, significantly outperforming the second-place contender, GauLes. Known for his marathon streams, especially his record-breaking Elden Ring marathon, Kai Cenat garnered widespread acclaim and admiration within the streaming community.

He finally beat Elden Ring after 166 hours of gameplay, one therapy session, and many sleepy nights. In fact, his viewership on the stream, even when he was sleeping was so high that it was beating some popular esports livestreams. 

Among the most popular streamers, you’ll find Jynxzi, Ibai, and xQc – each boasting a substantial fanbase. In the realm of female content creators, here are the top five streamers as well.

Gaining insights from Stream Hatchet offers us a peek into the dynamic realm of internet streaming, as an array of content creators continuously introduce diverse streams. The scene is constantly evolving, with Twitch facing new rivals, and both YouTube Gaming and Kick are aggressively striving to expand their market dominance.