25+ Insane Twitch Stats You Need to Know in 2023

Ever since we invented the computer, we’ve been looking for ways to play games on it. And we got quite good at it.

In recent years, live streaming has completely changed the way we use computer games for entertainment. Social networks have made it much easier to find fellow players and share our gaming experience in real-time. This gave the gaming industry a strong boost and introduced new ways to profit.

The streaming giant Twitch.tv best illustrates the trend. The site is now home to many broadcasters and viewers, who share strong passion for games. This is illustrated by recent Twitch stats which show there are around 26 million daily users. This amounts to a huge online community that presents marketers with a wealth of opportunities.

So we’ve decided to give you these amazing Twitch statistics. They will help you navigate through the fascinating world of live online gaming.

Before we dig deep into the numbers, here are some amazing facts to get you up to speed:

Awesome Twitch Stats:

• In the forecast period of 2021 and 2026, gaming will be worth about $295 billion globally. 
• There were about 9.5 million Twitch streamers as of February 2021. 
• In January 2021, Twitch watch hours were more than 2 billion. 
• Just Chatting has the highest number of weekly streamers as of May 5th, 2021.
• TheGrefg has 2,4 million concurrent views in 2021.
• As of March 25th, 2021, Ludwig has the highest 113 016 concurrent subs.

Twitch is taking the gaming industry one step further. Coming up are the numbers that prove it, starting with the latest data from 2022.

Eye-Opening Stats on Twitch for 2023

2022 is officially the year of changes. You can find out how it has influenced Twitch in those stats for 2022.

1. As of February 2021, Twitch had about 9 million streamers.

(Source: Twitch Tracker)

That’s a 5.8 million increment compared to 2020 figures. According to Twitch stats for 2021, each streamer had 25 million viewers - nearly 5% month-on-month (MOM) growth compared to 2013’s data when it was at 0%. 

2. There is a 55% growth in the average number of concurrent live channels in 2020.

(Source: Twitch Tracker)

Twitch growth stats tell us that this is a decline compared to previous years. 2017 and 2018 was the strongest period, with 67% growth. Then, in 2019, things started to slow down, with only 20% growth. This year has been reasonably good in terms of the growth of the average number of concurrent channels at a 55% increase from 2019.

3. With 84 million viewers, eSports will have more viewers than other major leagues in America by 2021.

(Source: Syracuse University)

These include the likes of the MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS. The only league with more viewers than eSports is the NFL, expected to have 141 million in 2021. If eSports reaches 1 billion views, it would attract the same number of viewers as tennis, the fourth most popular sport worldwide. And judging by esports statistics, it's on its way to do exactly that. 

4. Experiencing 23% of all desktop web traffic, the US is the largest Twitch market at the minute.

(Source: SimilarWeb)

Twitch stats by country show that next in line with the highest number of viewers is Germany (7%), followed by South Korea and Russia, at 6% individually. France still managed to scrape in the top 5, at 4%.

5. In January 2021, TheGrefg had 2.4+ million concurrent views.

(Source: The Digital TV)

According to Twitch growth stats David Martinez, a.k.a TheGrefg had almost 2.5 million views on January 11th, 2021. Fortnite, a top game, partnered with the Spanish streamer for a custom game skin. 

That got the audience waiting with bated breath for its revelation since it’s a big deal in the gaming world.

Bear in mind that he was the eight player ever to get such an honor. The previous streamer to get the award only had about 660k live viewers. 

6. Two billion - that’s how many hours people spent watching Twitch in January 2021.

(Source: NME)

Twitch stats show that was over one billion difference compared to Facebook’s 439 million hours. Some titles like Rust went up by 1226% MOM. 

The multiplayer online battle arena League of Legends, which is free to play, also went up by 110%. 

That’s not all:

Escape from Tarkov viewership showed a massive growth of 143%.

7. In the last seven days (as of March 25th, 2021), English is the most popular language on Twitch.

(Source: Twitch Tracker)

English takes the most significant piece of the pie when it comes to Twitch viewership. According to Twitch statistics for 2021, the language has 1.4 million concurrent viewers and 57K channels. 

Spanish is the second most popular with 245K viewers and 12K channels. Portuguese had 235K viewers and 9K channels, at number three.

8. Twitch expects to hit $1 billion in revenue in 2020.

(Source: Forbes)

Twitch revenue stats show that the platform gets $500 to $600 million in ad revenue. Add a potential $400 to $500 million in ‘commerce’ subscriptions and there’s a real chance that Twitch will hit $1 billion in 2020. 

9. Ninja is Twitch's top earner with a net worth of $50 million.

(Source: Twitch Followers)

As you may know, Ninja or Richard Belvins left Twitch for a year to join Mixer. He then rejoined after the latter shut down. 

Upon returning, he made some impressive moves, nearing close to 100K in just a quarter of an hour.

As of Q1 of 2021, Ninja streams 80 hours weekly. He once got 635K onlookers on a collabo with Drake.

In 2021, the professional streamer has 16.9 million followers. The second place goes to Turner Ellis (TFUE), with 10.2 million followers.

On 12th May 2021, Ninja teased about his return to Fortnite. Avid gamers can’t wait to see him play on the platform that made him famous. 

10. Just Chatting is the most popular March 2021 category.

(Source: Esports Charts)

Twitch stats by category, reveal that Just Chatting had the highest number in terms of viewings. It got 261 million hours, while its closest contender Grand Theft Auto V, had about 89 million hours behind. 

When it comes to peak viewers, Just Chatting breaks the record again with 1.4 million. Grand Theft Auto has 555 276. 

11. Ludwig has the highest number of current active subs on March 25th March 2021.

(Source: Twitch Tracker)

According to Twitch stats for streamers, Ludwig climbed all the way from number seven to grab the top position with 113 016 subs. Second place went to Ranboolive with 64 091, while XQCOW took third place with 60 912 current active subs. 

General Twitch Facts

Let’s begin with the stats showing just how big Twitch is for gamers.

12. On average, about two million people are watching Twitch.

(Source: Backlinko)

According to Twitch viewership stats, it has around two million people in 2021. Back in 2020, it attracted roughly only one million viewers. It’s also better than 2018’s figures with about 930K. 

13. Twitch has 90K+ channels as of March 2021.

(Source: Twitch Tracker)

The platform currently has 92 730 live channels. The average for the last week is 117 364. According to Twitch broadcaster stats, there are nine million-plus unique streamers monthly. 

14. Twitch had 1.9 billion hours of watch time in February.

(Source: Twitch Tracker)

Users spent a total of 981 719 136 hours in February 2020. That was less by 997 million hours compared to February 2021 figures. Either way, there has been a massive growth compared to 2013, when viewers only spent about 55 million hours.

15. Ninja has the highest number of followers in Q1 of 2021, with 16.9 million.

(Source: Twitch Tracker)

According to Twitch stats regarding followers, Ninja has close to 17 million. That’s a 2.2 million growth compared to 2020 data. TFUE and Shroud take second and third place with 10.2 and 9.2 million followers, respectively.

16. Fextralife has an A++ grade as of March 2021.

(Source: Sociable Blade)

According to Twitch statistics, Fextralife is ranking at the top position with 1.3 billion. The streamer has only 583 486 followers, which is way less than that of Ninja’s 16M. Therefore, the performance is impressive given that Ninja takes the 5th position. 

Nevertheless, Ninja has managed to get an A++ accreditation.

Riot Games takes the second position with 1.2 billion followers while ShadbaseMurderTV emerges number three with 179 million followers.

17. There are about 26 million daily active users on the platform.

(Source: Backlinko)

The number of users at any given time, which goes up to 2 million. Truly fascinating!

Streams drive in the highest traffic, with the most active day being Sunday. Saturday is the second busiest day, while Monday brings in the least action.

So, who are these users?

Twitch demographics reveal that 65% are male, while 35% goes to the ladies. 

Age-wise, 16 to 24-year-olds make up 41% of all viewers, while 15 to 34-year-olds are about 32%. The 55 to 44 age group also has some representation with 3%.

Twitch Growth Stats

Alright, we covered the scope of the platform. Now let’s see the numbers behind the site’s success.

18. The all-time Twitch peak as of January 2021 was about 6.5 million.

(Source: Twitch Tracker)

It looks like every year, this number keeps going up.

January  2021’s record was 6 577 002, with an average of 2 919 533. February and March’s peak figures averaged five million. It will be interesting to see when the next few months have in store. 

19. As of May 5th, 2021, Just Chatting has 354 878 viewers.

(Source: Twitch Tracker)

The interaction platform for streamers allows them to share tips, hacks and related gaming info. 

On May 31st, 2021, Just Chatting took the number one place with an average of about 379K per week. According to Twitch statistics for 2021, it also has a global share of 12.6%, and a change of 4.6%. 

Number two goes to Grand Theft Auto with 277K viewers/week, a global share of 9.2%, and a change of 22.5%. It is followed by Volorant, which has garnered 216K viewers weekly and a global share of around 7.2%. 

20. xQc, a Canadian streamer, had the highest amount of watch hours.

(Source: NME)

The streamer with the highest amount of hours in January was xQc. People spent about 25 million hours on xQc. AuronPlays was in second place with 10 million hours. 

What’s in Store for the Future?

So, we’ve come to terms with how big Twitch is - and that it’s getting bigger. But what is the commercial side of it all?

21. Users spend an average of 95 minutes watching live gaming daily.

(Source: MediaKix)

In addition, half of the daily active users spend 20 hours or more on the platform every week.

Twitch audience is among the most engaged when we’re talking about live streaming. This provides a great opportunity for marketers as well. And with Twitch viewership stats steadily growing, marketers will become increasingly interested in the platform.

22. 82% of Twitch users say sponsorships are good for the gaming industry.

(Source: TwtichAdvertising)

Gamers want their favorite players to get something out of it. They understand how important advertising is for the industry.

Furthermore, 80% of Twitch users are open to brands sponsoring a specific gamer or team. With 78% saying they want to see more charity in gaming.

23. Twitch had 40 100 partners in 2020. 

(Source: Statista)

Twitch has a program that allows its members to earn through ads and paid subscriptions. 

As of 2020, the platform had around 40k partners, increasing from 2012’s 3400. Since its inception, it has grown year on year, and the trend is likely to continue in the coming years. 

24. The Compound Annual Growth Revenue (CAGR) for gaming worldwide will be 10.5% between 2021 to 2026.

(Source: Mordor Intelligence)

According to Twitch stats, the global gaming market will grow at a CAGR of over 10% during the forecast period. By the year 2026, its value will be close to $256 billion. 

The main driver for the growth will be the emerging markets. Developers are constantly writing new code or tweaking old ones for giants like Xbox, Playstation, and Windows PC.

Curious Twitch Facts

Let’s look at some of the more curious stats about Twitch.

25. ForsenE has been used 3 billion times on Twitch.

(Source: Stream Elements)

Emotes are the icons/images that people use to chat on Twitch. Let’s discuss the most popular ones: ForsenE has been used 3 062 626 147 times as of March 2021. Coming in at number two is TriHard - 2.4 billion times. ForsenSven is third -  2.3 million times.

26. Gamers lead more social lives than non-gamers.

(Source: TwitchAdvertising)

According to a survey commissioned by Twitch, gamers are more social, family-oriented, educated, successful, and socially conscious than non-gamers.

For example, 10% of gamers are likely to be living alone, compared to 16% of non-gamers.

Gamers are less likely to watch TV alone (23% vs. 40%) and less likely to prefer to watch this way (21% vs. 36%).

They’re closer with their families - 76% saying they have a good relationship with their parents, compared to 63% of non-gamers.

Finally, gamers are more likely to hold a college degree or higher (43% vs. 36%). The same is true for their parents (52% vs. 37%).

Conclusion

The gaming industry is undeniably in its Golden Age. By 2026, the worldwide gaming market will reach $256 billion. The gaming community is also growing and people are looking for ways to share their experience.

Twitch has played a vital role in this process. By connecting gaming with live streaming, it struck gold.

The huge and highly-engaged audience it attracts is every marketer’s wet dream - it does well to explain the platform’s financial success. This makes Twitch’s future bright as well.

Alright, that’s it for today.

Hope you’ve enjoyed these Twitch stats!

See you next time!