Report: Twitch and Facebook Gaming see record growth in Q2 (Streamlabs, Stream Hatchet)

Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet say growth might continue to decline, but streaming will remain an important cultural tool for brands and marketers. Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet’s Q2 Streaming Industry Report shows that Twitch saw record-breaking viewership, and Facebook Gaming tripled the number of streaming hours. However, YouTube is returning to pre-COVID viewership levels, and overall growth on Twitch is beginning to slow down. “Celebrities, famous athletes, musicians, and artists have all used live streaming platforms like Facebook Gaming, Twitch, and YouTube Gaming to connect with their communities at a time when real human interaction was extremely limited,” Streamlabs’ Ethan Mays said in the report. Facebook Gaming totaled 1.18 billion hours viewed in the quarter, while YouTube’s was 1.29 billion, and Twitch saw 6.5 billion. Streamlabs’ head of product, Ashray Urs, told GameDaily Facebook owes its success to its broader growth as a platform.  “In the last year, they kicked off a new IRL category [and] worked with Mixer to accelerate their Level Up for their streamers when the platform shut down,” Urs said. “They’ve put a lot of effort into their mobile experience, and they have been working on bringing in new content creators. They’ve also made it easier for…
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