ReportStream Hatchet
Video Game Live Streaming Trends Report: Q3 2023
1 Jan 202325 pages~18 min full read
The live-streaming market has stabilized with 7.6 billion hours watched in Q3 2023, a 4% year-over-year decline but still 90% higher than 2019 levels.
See it on page 4Kick has emerged as the third most-watched platform, surpassing Facebook Live and AfreecaTV, with 66% of its viewership driven by non-gaming content.
See it on page 7Twitch maintains a dominant 71% market share, though its esports viewership experienced an 18% year-over-year decrease.
See it on page 6Creator-led events are primary engagement drivers, exemplified by La Velada del Año III and GP Explorer 2, which generated tens of millions of hours watched.
See it on page 20Grand Theft Auto V reclaimed the top spot for most-watched game, while new releases Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield generated nearly 100 million hours watched in their debut months.
See it on page 11Mobile gaming remains a significant esports pillar, with MPL Indonesia Season 12 ranking as the most-watched esports event of the quarter.
See it on page 5The Q3 2023 Video Game Live Streaming Trends Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the global live-streaming market, covering major platforms including Twitch, YouTube Gaming, Facebook Live, Kick, and AfreecaTV. Utilizing data from a consortium of industry analysts, the findings indicate that the market has entered a period of stabilization. Total viewership reached 7.6 billion hours watched, representing a minor 4% year-over-year decline but remaining 90% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
A significant shift in the platform landscape is highlighted by the rapid ascent of Kick, which surpassed Facebook Live and AfreecaTV to become the third most-watched platform. Kick’s growth is largely driven by non-gaming content, which accounts for 66% of its viewership, compared to 27% on Twitch. While Twitch maintains a dominant 71% market share, its esports viewership saw an 18% year-over-year decrease. Despite this, mobile titles remain strong, with MPL Indonesia Season 12 ranking as the quarter's top esports event.
The report identifies creator-driven events as a primary engine for high engagement. Events like ibai’s La Velada del Año III and Squeezie’s GP Explorer 2 generated tens of millions of hours watched and record-breaking peak viewership. In the software sector, Grand Theft Auto V reclaimed the top spot for most-watched game, while new role-playing releases Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield emerged as the most successful launches of the quarter, collectively generating nearly 100 million hours watched in their first months. The analysis concludes that while overall growth has slowed, the industry is sustained by high-profile creator events and the continued popularity of role-playing and variety content.
