Updated Mar 17, 2026 by Stream Hatchet
Esports live-streaming viewership grew 15% year-over-year in Q1 2023 to 651 million hours, bucking the broader industry trend of declining live-streaming viewership.
Audience interest is highly concentrated, with the top 30 tournaments accounting for 68% of total esports hours watched.
Twitch holds 62% of the total esports market share, while YouTube maintains 30% and has successfully captured 34% of viewership for large-scale events with an average minute audience over 80,000.
Co-streaming has become a primary growth driver, exemplified by the Call of Duty League tripling its hours watched as 60% of its peak audience tuned in via creator channels rather than official streams.
Mobile esports demonstrated significant momentum, with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang recording a 273% increase in viewership despite a general downturn in the mobile gaming sector.
While MOBA and FPS remain the dominant genres, Action-Adventure experienced the highest growth during the quarter, driven by specialized events like Minecraft Extremo.
Esports live-streaming viewership grew 15% year-over-year in Q1 2023 to 651 million hours, bucking the broader industry trend of declining live-streaming viewership.
Audience interest is highly concentrated, with the top 30 tournaments accounting for 68% of total esports hours watched.
Twitch holds 62% of the total esports market share, while YouTube maintains 30% and has successfully captured 34% of viewership for large-scale events with an average minute audience over 80,000.
Co-streaming has become a primary growth driver, exemplified by the Call of Duty League tripling its hours watched as 60% of its peak audience tuned in via creator channels rather than official streams.
Mobile esports demonstrated significant momentum, with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang recording a 273% increase in viewership despite a general downturn in the mobile gaming sector.
While MOBA and FPS remain the dominant genres, Action-Adventure experienced the highest growth during the quarter, driven by specialized events like Minecraft Extremo.