Market (Overall)·Updated Apr 8, 2026 by Stream Hatchet
Video game streaming grew 21% in 2021, with Twitch leading the market at 6 billion hours watched and a 31.4% year-over-year increase.
Facebook Gaming experienced significant momentum with a 59% year-over-year rise, while YouTube Gaming saw a 15% decline in live-stream hours despite growth in its VOD ecosystem.
Mobile titles including Garena Free Fire, PUBG Mobile, and Valorant accounted for 32% of total viewership, totaling over 5.6 billion hours watched.
The creator economy remains highly concentrated, as the top 1.2% of influencers capture 15.8% of revenue, while micro-tier creators—representing 93% of the streamer base—generate 56% of subscription and Bits income.
A persistent gender gap exists in the industry, with women comprising only 27% of the top 3,000 streamers and just 5% of the top 200 creators.
Platform-specific strategies are shifting to address creator diversity, evidenced by YouTube’s promotion of Valkyrae, Facebook Gaming’s spotlight series, and Twitch’s updated harassment policies.
Video game streaming grew 21% in 2021, with Twitch leading the market at 6 billion hours watched and a 31.4% year-over-year increase.
Facebook Gaming experienced significant momentum with a 59% year-over-year rise, while YouTube Gaming saw a 15% decline in live-stream hours despite growth in its VOD ecosystem.
Mobile titles including Garena Free Fire, PUBG Mobile, and Valorant accounted for 32% of total viewership, totaling over 5.6 billion hours watched.
The creator economy remains highly concentrated, as the top 1.2% of influencers capture 15.8% of revenue, while micro-tier creators—representing 93% of the streamer base—generate 56% of subscription and Bits income.
A persistent gender gap exists in the industry, with women comprising only 27% of the top 3,000 streamers and just 5% of the top 200 creators.
Platform-specific strategies are shifting to address creator diversity, evidenced by YouTube’s promotion of Valkyrae, Facebook Gaming’s spotlight series, and Twitch’s updated harassment policies.