ReportStream Hatchet
Live Streaming Trends Reports (Q2'24)
1 Jun 202420 pages~11 min full read
Live streaming viewership reached 8.5 billion hours in Q2 2024, representing a 10% year-over-year increase and the first significant growth surge since the post-pandemic decline.
Twitch’s market share of hours watched dropped from 70% in Q2 2023 to 60% in Q2 2024, while YouTube Gaming grew its share to 23.4%.
The streaming ecosystem is becoming less centralized, with the top 5% of streamers now holding 86% of the market share, down from 98% in 2019.
Viewer interest is shifting away from traditional FPS and MOBA esports toward Action and RPG categories, with major game updates like the Elden Ring expansion driving viewership spikes of up to 331%.
Newer platforms are gaining traction, with Kick and South Korea's Chzzk entering the top five, and Rumble establishing a significant niche in North American political content.
Grand Theft Auto V and League of Legends remain the most-watched titles, while KaiCenat and Mira emerged as the top-ranked male and female creators, respectively.
Live streaming viewership reached 8.5 billion hours in the second quarter of 2024, marking a 10% year-over-year increase and the industry's first significant growth surge since the post-pandemic decline. This resurgence is characterized by a diversifying platform landscape and a shift in creator influence. While Twitch remains the market leader, its share of hours watched dropped from 70% in Q2 2023 to 60% in Q2 2024. YouTube Gaming capitalized on this shift, growing its share to 23.4%, while newer competitors like Kick and the South Korean platform Chzzk secured spots in the top five.
The competitive landscape for creators is also evolving toward a more decentralized model. The market share held by the top 5% of streamers fell from 98% in 2019 to 86% in 2024, suggesting increased visibility for smaller broadcasters. Content trends highlight the massive impact of major updates and DLCs; for example, Elden Ring saw a 331% viewership surge following its expansion release. While Grand Theft Auto V and League of Legends maintain their positions as the most-watched titles, traditional esports genres like First-Person Shooters and MOBAs have seen their total viewership share decline in favor of Action and RPG categories.
Geographic and niche platform trends show Rumble emerging as a significant player for political content, particularly in North America, where debate-related streams accounted for nearly a third of its weekly viewership. In the creator space, KaiCenat claimed the top overall spot, while Mira led the female creator rankings. The report, produced by Stream Hatchet using data from major global streaming platforms, indicates that the industry is moving away from a "winner-take-all" dynamic toward a more fragmented and diverse ecosystem of platforms, genres, and creators.
