50+ Twitch Statistics You Need to Know – Revenue, Products, and More

In the vast realm of online entertainment, Twitch has emerged as a powerful force, captivating millions of viewers and creators worldwide. As the leading live streaming platform for gamers, Twitch has redefined the way we experience video game culture, fostering a vibrant community of players, streamers, and fans.

Understanding the significance of Twitch and its impact on the digital landscape is crucial for anyone interested in the evolving world of online gaming, streaming, and content creation. With an abundance of information scattered across various sources, we have taken on the task of curating and organizing the most important Twitch statistics you need to know in 2023.

Twitch Revenue Data

Twitch’s in-app purchase revenue has experienced substantial growth over the years, with the highest revenue recorded in 2020, reaching $216.01 million.

Based on data from a prominent leak, a Wall Street Journal analysis reveals that the top 1% of Twitch streamers earned over 50% of the total payouts in 2021.

A “Dungeons & Dragons” group made nearly $4 million in 2021.

The CPM for advertisers on Twitch can range between $2 and $10.

Twitch Investment Data

Twitch successfully secured a funding amount totaling $35 million across three funding rounds, with their last round of funding obtained on September 30, 2013.

The company garnered financial support from a group of nine investors, including recent investors Thrive Capital and Nelstone Ventures.

In 2014, Amazon acquired Twitch for $970 million.

Twitch made an investment in Zeet, a developer-focused application, on September 6, 2022. Zeet was valued at $4.3 million.

In terms of acquisitions, Twitch has acquired six organizations, with their most recent acquisition being IGDB.com on September 18, 2019.

The list of five other companies acquired by Twitch, apart from IGDB.com, is as follows:

• GoodGame (2014): a talent agency and management firm focused on professional esports players and content creators. It provides services such as brand development, sponsorship negotiations, and tournament organization.
• Curse (2016): a multimedia and technology company known for its gaming-focused website and application. It provided tools and services for gamers, including voice communication software, mod management platforms, and game-related news and information.
• ClipMine (2017): a startup company that develops technology for analyzing and categorizing video clips. Twitch integrated ClipMine’s technology into its platform to improve the discovery and recommendation of video content.
• Revlo (2018): a company that provides a loyalty and rewards platform for streamers and their viewers. It allows streamers to create and customize loyalty programs, rewarding viewers with points for their engagement and participation.
• Bebo (2019): a social networking platform that gained popularity in the mid-2000s. Twitch acquired Bebo primarily for its team and intellectual property assets to help Twitch further develop its own community and social features.

• Twitch Timeline & History

  This comprehensive timeline brings together revenue figures, product trends, and other vital insights, offering a consolidated resource for those seeking a deeper understanding of Twitch’s influence and trajectory.

  • 2011 – Twitch is founded by Justin Kan and Emmett Shear as a spin-off of the streaming platform Justin.tv.
  • 2012 – Twitch reaches 20,000,000 unique monthly viewers and becomes the go-to platform for gaming live streams.
  • 2013 – Twitch introduces a subscription service, allowing viewers to subscribe to their favorite streamers and support them financially.
  • 2014 – Amazon acquires Twitch for $970 million, recognizing its potential as a leading platform for live streaming.
  • 2015 – The platform hosts its first TwitchCon, a convention dedicated to Twitch and its community.
  • 2016 – Twitch introduces Twitch Prime, a premium subscription service for Amazon Prime members that offers ad-free viewing and additional benefits.

  

  • 2017 – Twitch launches the Twitch Affiliate Program, allowing smaller streamers to monetize their channels.
  • 2018 – Twitch introduces two new features, including Squad Stream, allowing up to four streamers to co-stream together on a single page, and Twitch Sings, a karaoke game designed specifically for streamers and viewers.
  • 2019 – Twitch launches its own standalone streaming software called Twitch Studio, aimed at simplifying the streaming process for new streamers.
  • 2020 – In an effort to improve safety and moderation as Twitch experiences significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company forms the Twitch Safety Advisory Council.
  • 2021 – Twitch users collectively watch over 1,460 billion minutes throughout the year.
  • 2022 – Twitch, Universal Music Group, and Amazon Music announce an expansion of their agreements to create innovative opportunities for artists to engage with their fans.

  By 2023, Twitch continued to be one of the leading live-streaming platforms, with a strong focus on fostering its creator community and enhancing user experiences.

Twitch Product Stats

Twitch Advertising

Twitch generates revenue through advertising by displaying ads before, during, and after streams. Advertisers pay Twitch for ad placements, and Twitch shares a portion of that revenue with streamers based on their viewership and engagement.

• To unlock a 55% net ad revenue share on Twitch:
  • Run at least 3 minutes of ads per hour.
• If ads are run below the minimum requirement:
  • You’ll receive a 30% net ad revenue share.

Twitch Subscriptions (Subs) and Bits

Viewers can subscribe to their favorite streamers’ channels by paying a monthly fee. Twitch shares a portion of the subscription revenue with the streamers at 50%. There are three subscription tiers:

• Tier 1: Viewers pay $4.99 per month.
• Tier 2: Viewers pay $9.99 per month.
• Tier 3: Viewers pay $24.99 per month.

Bits are a form of virtual currency that viewers can purchase and use to support streamers by cheering in chat. Streamers receive an 80% share of the revenue from the Bits purchased by their viewers.

Game Sales and In-Stream Purchases

Twitch allows game developers to sell their games directly on the platform. When viewers purchase games through Twitch, the platform receives a share of the revenue:

• Developers receive a 70% share of the revenue generated from sales.
• Twitch partner streamers earn a 5% commission on sales made through their channel pages.

Donations and Sponsorships

Viewers can donate directly to streamers as a form of support. Donations are typically made through third-party platforms like PayPal or Patreon, with Twitch not directly involved in the transaction. 100% of the donation goes to the streamer.

Streamers may enter into sponsorship agreements with brands or companies, promoting their products or services during their streams. These sponsorships can provide additional revenue streams for streamers and depend on the specific terms of the sponsorship agreement.

Twitch Viewer and Streamer Stats

Twitch’s average concurrent viewership has steadily grown over the years, starting at 102,000 viewers in 2012 to 2.47 million in 2023.

The number of concurrent viewers peaked in 2021 at 2.78 million, marking a surge in viewership during COVID lockdowns and restrictions.

The number of monthly broadcasters on Twitch has steadily increased from 300,00 in 2012 to a peak of 8.46 million broadcasters in 2021.

The year 2020 witnessed a significant surge in the number of monthly broadcasters on Twitch, reaching 6.9 million.

Twitch Games Stats

As of December 2022, League of Legends holds the title of the most popular game on Twitch, accumulating over 55.2 billion views worldwide.

Fortnite secures the second position as the next most popular Twitch game, accumulating over 30.22 billion views. Grand Theft Auto claims the third spot with approximately 29.3 billion views.

Twitch Demographics Data

The majority (70%) of Twitch users fall within the age range of 18-34.

The user community consists of approximately one-fifth of teenagers aged 13-17.

Twitch has a predominantly male user base, with 68% being male and 32% female.

Twitch has a global reach with users from various countries, including the United States, Germany, Korea, Russia, and Canada.

In a 2020 academic study with a small group of participants, the top three reasons for watching Twitch were:

• Entertainment
• To avoid boredom
• To follow a specific streamer

92% of the study participants watched male streams all or most of the time and 79% hardly ever or never watched female streamers. 

42% of people found Twitch to be very helpful during a difficult period in their life and another 29% found it to be helpful.

Twitch Business Data

In May 2023, Twitch received 1.1 billion website visits. 

Each visit lasted a little over 9 minutes and visitors viewed an average of 3.96 pages each time.

20% of Twitch traffic comes from the USA. 

The next biggest audiences are in:

• Germany
• Russia
• France
• South Korea

Twitch Competitor Stats

YouTube Gaming

YouTube Gaming is a platform by Google introduced in 2015 that focuses on gaming content, including live streams, gaming videos, and eSports. It integrates gaming content with the broader YouTube ecosystem.

In 2022, YouTube Gaming viewers watched 1.17 billion hours collectively at a 4% decrease from the previous year. Twitch viewers had watched 22.4 billion hours that same year, a decrease of 6% from the previous year.

In Q3 2022, YouTube Gaming Live had an average of 544,000 concurrent viewers, which decreased from its peak of 871,000 concurrent viewers in Q4 2020. Twitch had an average of 2.64 million concurrent viewers, showing a 2% increase from the previous quarter in the same time period.

Facebook Gaming

Facebook Gaming is a gaming platform integrated within the Facebook social media network, enabling users to play games, watch live streams, and interact with gaming communities.

Facebook Gaming subscribers pay the same as Twitch’s first-tier subscription ($4.99). Unlike Twitch, Facebook does not offer multi-tier subscriptions.

Facebook Gaming allows for streams with a maximum broadcast length of 8 hours per session, while the maximum broadcast length for Twitch is longer at 48 hours.

Twitch Fun Facts

A streamer named “PhantomL0rd” faced legal troubles after being accused of rigging gambling activities on his channel, leading to his permanent suspension from Twitch.

Twitch implemented a new feature called “Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches” to accommodate streamers broadcasting from non-gaming environments, sparking debates about the platform’s content guidelines.

The Twitch streamer Amouranth sold jars of her flatulence for $1,000, gaining attention and controversy within the streaming community.

A streamer named Emilycc broke the record for the longest continuous livestream, lasting 564 days.

During Ice Poseidon’s final Twitch stream at a Phoenix airport, a viewer made a hoax bomb threat under his name, resulting in his removal from the flight by a swat team and his permanent ban from Twitch.

One of the most popular emojis on Twitch, the Kappa emoji, is a greyscale image of one of Justin.tv’s employees. The emoji is often used to express sarcasm at the end of the statement.

FAQ

Resources

• Statista
• Wall Street Journal
• Backstage
• Crunchbase
• Amazon
• Stream Scheme
• Twitch Tracker
• Washington Post
• Polygon
• Twitch
• Shacknews
• Universal Music
• Statista
• Twitch Advertising
• Statista
• Statista
• Frontiers in Psychology
• Similarweb
• Statista
• Polygon
• Cnet
• Insider
• Dotesports