ReportStream Hatchet
Live Streaming Trends Report: Q2 2024
15 Jul 202420 pages~34 min full read
The live streaming industry saw a 10% year-over-year growth in Q2 2024, reaching 8.5 billion total hours watched.
See it on page 2Twitch's market share dropped from 70% to 60%, while YouTube Gaming and Kick captured 23.4% and 5.5% of the market, respectively.
See it on page 5Viewership is decentralizing, with the top 5% of streamers now holding 86% of the market share, down from 98% in 2019.
See it on page 17The top 0.01% of channels saw their market share decline from 45% to 33%, indicating a shift toward mid-tier creator visibility.
See it on page 17Major software releases significantly impact genre performance, evidenced by Elden Ring's DLC launch driving a 331% surge in its viewership and a 30% increase in the broader Action genre.
See it on page 12Esports remains a major draw, highlighted by the LCK Grand Final setting a record with 2.7 million concurrent viewers.
See it on page 4The VTuber segment is a high-growth area, with individual creators in the Grand Theft Auto V category experiencing viewership spikes exceeding 300%.
See it on page 16The global live streaming industry experienced a significant resurgence in the second quarter of 2024, with total viewership reaching 8.5 billion hours. This 10% year-over-year increase represents the first substantial growth period since the pandemic-era peak. While Twitch maintains its position as the primary market leader, its dominance has softened from 70% to 60% of total hours watched. This shift reflects a diversifying landscape where YouTube Gaming and Kick have captured 23.4% and 5.5% of the market, respectively, and Rumble has established itself as a top-ten platform by leveraging political content and debate-related viewership.
Content trends during this period were heavily influenced by major software releases and political events. The launch of downloadable content for Elden Ring triggered a 331% surge in viewership for the title, driving a 30% increase in the broader Action genre. Conversely, traditional pillars such as First-Person Shooters and MOBAs saw slight declines in market share. The VTuber segment remains a high-growth area, particularly within the Grand Theft Auto V category, where individual creators saw viewership spikes exceeding 300%. Esports also reached new heights, evidenced by the LCK Grand Final achieving a record 2.7 million concurrent viewers.
A critical structural shift is occurring in creator demographics, characterized by the decentralization of viewership. The market share held by the top 5% of streamers fell to 86% from a 2019 high of 98%, while the share held by the top 0.01% of channels dropped from 45% to 33%. This trend suggests a maturing ecosystem where visibility is increasingly distributed among a broader range of mid-tier creators rather than being concentrated exclusively at the top. These findings indicate a healthy, diversifying industry that is successfully transitioning from pandemic-driven volatility to sustainable, multi-platform growth.
