Ever heard of an online streaming platform called Twitch? It’s no surprise if you have as Twitch is one of the most powerful live streaming platforms in the world and is a household name for gaming fans across the world. Created in 2011, Twitch became the fourth-largest source of peak internet traffic in the United States. Today, they have over 27,000 partner channels and have been so successful that Youtube Gaming was shut down.
So, where exactly did Twitch first emerge and how did it become such an overnight hit? The platform, which is now owned by Amazon, where it was acquired for $970 million, is a true market leader, overpowering any other competitor of its kind.
Below, we’ll take a look at how Twitch became so popular and what successes they are gaining today.
Who uses Twitch?
Statistics show that today’s Twitch users spend an average of 95 minutes watching live games on Twitch. Around 70% of these users are under the age of 35 and more than 30 million users are active on the platform daily, indicating it is a habit that is ingrained into many people’s daily routines. Not only does the platform provide a sense of global companionship with like minded people, it provides familiarity and comfort as users tune in to get updates from their favourite streamers. Viewership statistics show that users consumed over 17 billion hours of content over 2020.
Naturally, most activity occurs on Twitch on the weekends where there is a 6% rise in viewships. This indicates that many users are logging into Twitch to fill their free time, rather than using it as a passive activity while on the daily commute or while performing other tedious activities.
The platform continues to grow at an increasing rate to this day, in which there was 22.7 daily active users recorded in March 2020, setting a record for a streaming platform. As for where Twitch players are located in the world, just 22% of Twitch’s traffic comes from the US, where there are over 28 million users per month. While Twitch also has a varied demographic group of plates spread out across the world, studies show that the majority of these streamers are male and in their teenage years.
Of course, there are also the Twitch professionals who are making millions by broadcasting their content frequently Some users have reported making over $1million, in which paid streamers can get their revenue every 15 days. .
What are people watching on Twitch?
One of the largest segments on Twitch is e-sports, in which there are 84 millions views of esports content on the platform. Twitch’s business model means that after acquiring Curse LLC in 2018, they built onto the platform, adding means to purchase games through links on streams, along with a program allowing streamers to receive commissions on the sales of games that they play.
As such, content can now link to popular gaming sites like online casinos so that viewers can easily access their favourite slots or poker games that they have seen being broadcast live on the Twitch platform.
In addition to esports, video games broadcasting is one of the most popular categories of all time on Twitch, in which a user called Ninja is considered one of the most followed streamers on the platform as of 2021. Some of the most popular games to be live streamed include Fortnite and Variety.
How did Twitch begin?
Twitch started out as a site called Justin.tv back in 2007 Combining live video with chat, the platform became a voice and a space for people to stream their content, voice their opinions and give life to their gaming fantasy worlds. As the number of users grew, so too did the platform in which broadcasting live video games was bever expected to be so popular but took the world by storm.
Twitch’s plans for the future
While Twitch is currently in the prime of its success, in which their monopoly style acquisitions of different companies may be brutal but a smart business deal. Some of the things that make Twitch unique and ensure future success include:
- A real time interactive chat experience
- A high level of interaction through each live stream
- Video archive options to save and rewatch your favourite videos
- Multi device capabilities for a seamless user experience
- A Twitch API is available to attract more advanced users
Overall, It’s no surprise that with all its impressive features and a solid building strategy that Twitch is one of the biggest and most successful live streaming companies out there today, So, what are you waiting for?
