Game Streaming Statistics: Game live streaming is primarily defined by its form and content; and can be described as a new medium that combines traditional broadcast and online gaming, on platforms such as Twitch, Huya, etc. Video game live streaming is similar to traditional broadcasts, in that it retains one-way transmission. However, game streaming offers a more positive experience than traditional broadcasts. Game streaming allows for multi-directional interactions.
This is more common than when playing online games. Video game live streaming allows audiences to chat with streamers in real time, creating a community around a streamer. This community will allow viewers to interact with their favorite streamers and celebrities, creating a feeling of intimacy unmatched by any other media. Live streaming of video games is a media form that integrates the public, communities, and interaction. It bridges the gap between traditional media, such as TV and online games.
Overview
Video game live streaming refers to a broadcast that uses “online games” for content. Douyu and Dailymotion Games are examples of such broadcasts. “Online games determine the behavior of viewers and streamers on live streaming games platforms.” Streamers can share and create videos while playing online games and simultaneously communicate with their specific audience. Several features are available to the audience, including watching a video related to specific “online games,” a search for information, and learning online gaming skills.
Users
There are two broad categories of game streaming – streamers and viewers. The differences between them are due to the reception and production of information. Streamers are the creators of live-streaming content. They use their mobile devices to record and publish live-streaming videos. Streamers can demonstrate game skills and teach game strategies. Streamers can also manage their self-image by chatting with the audience on a platform. They can also express their interests and outlooks on life. Audiences consume live streaming. They can watch it on their desktops or mobile devices. Live streaming platforms allow audiences to interact with streamers and other users, reward streamers, and subscribe to live streaming channels. They can also learn and acquire information related to a given game. Streamers and viewers should be considered separately when looking at users who are attached to live gameplay.
Features
Live streaming is first performed in real-time. Streamers share the online video of themselves playing a game while viewers watch the same videos simultaneously. This means that both the production and consumption of live-streaming videos can be done simultaneously, where streamers and viewers can communicate. A platform will generally display the screen of the streamer playing video games and chatting in real-time with their audience. Game streaming is real-time video media.
The activity encourages sociability, thus live streaming is a form of social media. Game streaming is social in the same way. Streamers can communicate with their audiences who have subscribed and give out rewards. The gamification mechanism for Game streaming platforms has enhanced the interaction between streamers, audiences, and players. This includes rewards, badges, and other gamification tools. The third feature is the diffusion of suspense. This is because, unlike traditional media, where most videos are recorded beforehand, such as on iQIYI or Tencent Video, video game live-streaming features are suspenseful. Online games and other competitive activities can contain high moments, low points, and riveting end results. However, watching pre-recorded media makes it easier to be influenced by spoilers, which can get boring at times.
Hours Watched on YouTube Gaming Live Worldwide Q2 2022
YouTube Gaming Live saw 1.13 billion hours of content in Q2, 2022. This is a 13.1% decrease over the same quarter last year. Notable streamer Valkyrae (real name: Rachel Hofstetter) left Twitch in January 2021 to sign an exclusive game streaming contract on YouTube. In May 2022, she signed a new contract with YouTube, a vote of confidence in YouTube. YouTube Gaming saw its lowest viewing hours since 2020, despite its efforts to retain talent.
Game Streaming Total Hours Watched 2019-2021
Video gaming has changed from being a one-player experience to a social platform where players can play together and watch other gamers play online. A total of 8.8 billion hours of live video games were viewed in Q1, 2021. This is an increase from the 3.6 billion hours recorded two years prior.
Hours Streamed on Facebook Gaming Worldwide Q2 2022
An estimated 7.9 million hours of online gaming were streamed via Facebook Gaming in Q3, 2022. Facebook Game streaming platform launched by a social network to compete with YouTube Gaming and Twitch.
Twitch’s Most Popular Games by All-time Viewers 2022
Twitch was founded in 2011 and is one of the most loved ways for viewers to watch their favorite gamers play online games. League of Legends is the most-watched game on Twitch, with over 52.6 billion views globally as of August 2022.
Concurrent Viewers on YouTube Game Streaming Q2 2022
YouTube Gaming is the most popular platform to stream live games. YouTube Gaming Live indexed an average of 518 million concurrent viewers in Q2, 2022. This is down from the record 871,000 CCV for Q4, 2020.
Hours Watched on Leading Gaming Streaming Platforms Q2 2022
Twitch, a live-game streaming video platform, is one of the most used ways for viewers to watch their favorite gamers play. 5.65 billion people viewed Twitch in Q2, 2022.
Top Live-Streamed Gaming Conferences 2021, by Peak Viewers
The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo streamed live on Twitch and YouTube, was the most-watched gaming industry event. It drew more than three million concurrent viewers. The peak viewership for the 2021 Nintendo Direct convention was approximately 2.9 million. The Game Awards saw “It Takes Two” win the prize for the best game of the year. It attracted 1.92 million peak viewers.
Best Game Streaming Sites, Key Features, Pros, and Cons:
Twitch:
Twitch was originally known as justin.tv and has been a top game streaming site ever since. According to reports, the average number of people streaming on Twitch was 2.5 million in July 2021. It can be used on any device that streams gaming content, including an Xbox, PlayStation, PC, and smartphone. Viewers can access streams from any device. This platform has plenty of community support. It is now part of Amazon’s e-Commerce entity. Amazon Prime members get free money to support their favorite streamers on Twitch. Let’s take a look at some of the key features of Twitch.
Key Features:
Easy interaction of followers with streamer profiles
An average of 1.8 million viewers are watching any given moment
Simple, effective subscription model for long-term earnings
Cons:
Run ads for at least fifty followers and monetize streams
It is difficult to get noticed with many streamers on this platform.
YouTube Gaming:
YouTube Gaming is part of Google Search Engine, the world’s largest search engine. This platform boasts many streamers that give their audience exactly what they need. This Gaming platform is a huge trend. YouTube became the largest online video platform as a growing number of kids who are exposed to technology and gaming began making videos. The best feature is its ability to provide streamers with a wide range of tools that make game streaming video games easy. It’s more or less the same as what users are used to doing on YouTube.
Key Features:
Easy and simple UI
Superb support system and tools
Video quality choices, such as 480p, and 1080p, among others
Significant audience base
Pros:
Live game streaming is available for free
Stream saving option so the audience can view it later
Great audience interaction
Cons:
Displays that are cluttered
The interface takes up a lot of space
There are no special incentives or rewards.
Facebook Gaming:
Facebook has made a lot of commitments toward gaming in recent years. To keep everyone in one place, there is a Facebook Gaming app. According to reports, 1 Bn hours’ worth of live-game streaming games on Facebook Gaming was viewed by individuals worldwide in Q1 2021. The same information is available on the Facebook mobile app and desktop website. Facebook Gaming’s UI is very simple. It is very easy to create a live stream and set up a live stream. It can schedule broadcasts that can create anticipation among viewers. Facebook is also a social media platform. It will be more likely to be discovered.
Key Features:
Playing in-stream ads has its perks
Easy game streaming for mobile and desktop gaming
React to the audience’s comments and reactions
Fans will give you stars if they have real monetary value
Pros:
It is simple to use
Audiences will be able to search for profiles to view live streams
Large audience base
Both mobile and desktop gaming are supported
It’s easy to sign up
Alert feature for game streaming starts
Cons:
Watch streams with a mandatory account
Viewers can scroll down quickly to see other content
Bigo Live:
This is one platform that delivers quality live streaming. Bigo Live doesn’t reside in a particular area. It can stream on both desktop and mobile. The streaming platform uses augmented reality as well as artificial intelligence. Thanks to these new technologies, the platform can offer a wide range of benefits to its audience. To stream, the audience must be at least 18 years old. The platform can make it more creative and improve viewers’ skills.
Additionally, it can compete with other streamers on YouTube. Users can avail of Beans by winning a contest. This will allow streamers to earn real cash. This streaming platform offers competitive events that can be used to analyze and improve performance.
Key features:
Allows for in-app purchases
Streaming is available to a worldwide audience
Participate in In-App Competitions
Interactions with the audience are easy
Easy-to-use and simple UI
Pros:
Participate in competitions to improve skills
Famous in a short time and have a global audience
Make a lot of money
Cons:
Must adhere to strict rules
Facebook’s automatic posting feature
There are no saved chat records
Afreeca TV:
Afreeca, or AfreecaTV, stands for Any Free Broadcasting. It began as a streaming service that was mainly for South Korea. It was a website that retransmitted TV channels. Today, it offers a variety of broadcasting services. Users can upload videos, join chats with the audience, and even live-stream gaming. This platform is well-known for live-streaming mobile games because of its popularity. It is now a sponsor of the E-sports League of Legends. This live streaming platform can live stream for both desktop and mobile devices.
Key features:
It is easy-to-use
Interact with the audience in real-time
A clutter-free streaming screen
Real Money
Pros:
Expertise in streaming video games and E-sports
All content created by local streamers gets a preference
Cons:
International competitiveness is not possible
A percentage of the revenue earned
Minimal features platform
Sponsored broadcasts may incur charges
DLive
DLive, a live-streaming service for games, was launched in 2017. BitTorrent acquired DLive in 2019. This platform can be very respective to content creators. All revenue generated goes directly to streamers. The UI is very simple, making it a great option for new streamers. It is also very popular.
Key features:
It has a beautiful platform layout
Allows for prompt follow-ups with interest
Provides excellent support
Smooth streaming and no lag
Pros:
Section for informational support
It also comes with a donation button
There is no share of generated revenues
Cons:
No feature like “subscription.”
Displays that are cluttered
GosuGamers
GosuGamers can be a great site for those who love Esports, as it provides detailed information about Esports around the globe. It also allows viewers to view live streams and match schedules. The portal even allows viewers to shop for Esports merchandise. PUBG and Dota 2 Hearthstone are just a few games users will find here. The GosuGamers platform was created primarily to stream live tournament streams. Tournaments can be filtered under a section titled “tournaments”. Viewers can choose to sort tournaments according to their preferences. The audience can easily access past streams in the “replays” section. The best thing about replays is the high-quality video. Viewers won’t have to sacrifice stream quality.
Key Features:
Tournament live streaming
The latest Esports news
Keep track of your team’s ranking
On-time notifications
Pros:
Live streamers from around the globe
All kinds of information and notifications about the latest streams can be found
International tournament streams
Cons:
It’s not so simple to use
A platform that is not attractive
Caffeine
Caffeine ships with Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) capture software for PC. However, Caffeine can integrate with third-party apps like OBS. It can stream any game from OBS and play it on Caffeine. This live-streaming platform has great features: it can receive notifications about new updates, enables chats with other streamers, and interacts with the audience. However, there are no options to save clips or re-watch streams. This is a great option for new streamers to the world of streaming. It can stream any content picked up by a webcam in a matter of seconds. It can also take pictures and save them as thumbnails. This platform does not support mobile live streaming. Mobile viewers can interact with live streamers and watch them on their mobile devices.
Key features:
The interface is simple to use
Stream with the click of a button
Attractive platform
Mobile viewing supported
Pros:
Free, no ads, and no viewers
Simple setup
Great discoverability
Elegant presentation
Easy to make money
Cons:
Mobile live streaming is not available in any form
There is no way to archive streams
Gaming monitors have a low resolution
Mobcrush
Mobcrush, a platform that specializes in mobile broadcasting, is a must-have for gamers. This platform is becoming more popular daily as mobile broadcasting has become more mainstream. It allows users to connect with multiple services from one platform. It is very easy to set up. After creating an account, you must download third-party streaming software such as XSplit and OBS. Mobcrush will stream your streams and broadcast them to any other platforms you choose, such as YouTube or Twitch. This platform is only available for desktop and mobile platforms. Using the platform on set-top boxes and gaming consoles is impossible. The UI is fairly smooth and uniquely handles screen recording. The Android version works more or less the same as Facebook Gaming. It can interact with multiple viewers simultaneously.
Key features:
Mobile streaming and PC support
Accessible features and tools for new streamers
Great audience interaction
Pros:
Simple and easy-to-use UI
Broadcast stream on other platforms
Multiple viewer interactions supported
Cons:
Gaming consoles and set-top boxes are not for sale
No direct support for viewers
Other third-party streaming software required
Owncast
Owncast is an open-source, free live-streaming platform, on which, users can host their given channel. This is a sign that no centralized corporate entity sells subscriptions or games, shows ads on the channels, and splits the revenue among streamers. It is almost like creating a brand-new website. Users can also create URLs, such as abc.dub.ninja. The platform has great documentation to help you get started if you’re unfamiliar with such things. Stream settings such as the resolution and framerate can be adjusted.
Key Features:
Self-hosting is an option
Stream settings can be customized to perfection
Great audience interaction
Open source and no ads
Pros:
Compatible with popular streaming software
Provides excellent customization
Live streaming via mobile app
Cons:
Restricted community
Complex installation process
There is no way to earn money directly from live streaming
Server maintenance and purchase required
Esports Stats and Facts
Revenue in the Esports market is projected to reach US$1,422.00m in 2022.
Revenue is expected to index an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022-2027) of 9.47%, resulting in a projected market value of US$2,235.00mn by 2027.
The market’s largest segment is sponsorship & advertising, with a market volume of US$791.90m in 2022.
With a projected market volume of US$383.40m in 2022, most revenue is generated in China.
User penetration was 6.9% in 2022 and is expected to hit 9.1% by 2027.
In the eSports market, the number of users is expected to amount to 720.8m users by 2027.
The Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is expected to amount to US$2.70.
