Almost 50% of Generation Z and Millennials in the US and Canada are regular viewers of video game streams, with YouTube and TikTok being their preferred platforms, surpassing Twitch.
Data from YPulse reveals a significant trend in video game streaming habits among younger demographics. Whether it’s to follow eSports competitions or watch other players’ gameplay, nearly half of Generation Z and Millennials are engaged in this activity on a weekly basis.
Close to one-third of them watch video game competitions at least once a week, indicating an increasing involvement in the gaming community, where content creation and chat interaction play a crucial role.
YouTube has solidified its position as the dominant platform for video game streaming, with over 50% of young people choosing it to watch competitions or follow other players. This success can be attributed to its ability to offer long, interactive content, enhanced by live chat functions.
TikTok, known for its fast-paced and entertaining nature, ranks as the second most popular platform, particularly among 18-24 year-olds. These findings demonstrate a clear preference for traditional social media platforms over dedicated gaming hubs.
Is Twitch losing steam?
Once the go-to destination for streaming gameplay, Twitch now finds itself in third place. Only a quarter of 13- to 39-year-olds use Twitch for streaming games and eSports, with usage particularly low among teenagers, the study pointed out.
This decline can be attributed to the ease of access to streams via social networks where users are already present, reducing the need for them to switch platforms. TikTok has widely popularized video game live streams on the “For You” feed, which offers video content or live streams to users on the app, even if they are not subscribers to the various accounts.
For this report, YPulse used responses from a national sample of 1,500 people aged 13 to 39, from October 10 to 19, 2023, in the US and Canada. – AFP Relaxnews
