ReportStream Hatchet
Video Game Streaming Trends Report: Q1 2023
1 Mar 202321 pages~24 min full read
Total live-streaming viewership declined 16% year-over-year in Q1 2023, though total hours watched remain 46% higher than Q1 2020 levels.
See it on page 4Twitch and YouTube Live Gaming consolidated their market dominance to a combined 89% share, while Facebook Live viewership plummeted by 69%.
See it on page 4Cross-media synergy is a primary growth driver, evidenced by the HBO 'The Last of Us' series triggering a 107% increase in viewership for the franchise's games.
See it on page 17Hogwarts Legacy set a record for single-player games with 1.28 million peak concurrent viewers during its early access period.
See it on page 15Creator KaiCenat became the top streamer in Q1 2023, generating 53.4 million hours watched during a 30-day 'subathon'.
See it on page 9VTubers have achieved significant market penetration, occupying 50% of the top ten spots in the female creator category.
See it on page 12Non-gaming content is increasingly vital to platform engagement, with football broadcasts accounting for four of the top five non-gaming streams.
See it on page 13The live-streaming market experienced a cooling period in the first quarter of 2023, with combined viewership across major platforms decreasing by 16% compared to the previous year. Despite this decline, the industry remains significantly larger than pre-pandemic levels, with total hours watched still 46% higher than in Q1 2020 and double the volume of Q1 2019. This analysis, based on data from Twitch, YouTube Live Gaming, Facebook Live, and emerging platforms like AfreecaTV, highlights a shifting competitive landscape where Twitch and YouTube have increased their market share to 74% and 15% respectively, while Facebook Live’s influence plummeted by nearly 69%.
A primary trend identified is the growing synergy between streaming and other media formats. The release of The Last of Us television series on HBO triggered a 107% increase in viewership for the franchise's games and generated over one million related chat messages on Twitch within two weeks. Similarly, non-gaming content continues to expand, with sports—specifically football—accounting for four of the top five non-gaming broadcasts. In the gaming sector, League of Legends reclaimed the top spot by hours watched, while Hogwarts Legacy set a record for single-player games with 1.28 million peak viewers during its early access period.
The creator landscape saw significant shifts as KaiCenat became the top streamer, surpassing xQc following a record-breaking 30-day "subathon" that generated 53.4 million hours watched. The report also notes the rising dominance of VTubers, particularly in the female creator category, where they occupy half of the top ten spots. Geographically, the influence of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking creators remains strong, representing the majority of the top ten global streamers. While the market is stabilizing after years of rapid growth, these findings suggest that high-production crossovers and diverse content categories are becoming the primary drivers of audience engagement.
