The state of the streaming and esports industries was recently outlined in a collaborative report published by GameSquare and Stream Hatchet. The report delved into a series of data points to reveal some staggering information about esports viewing trends. In 2023, esports viewers watched 2.7 billion hours of competitive content, marking a substantial increase of around 75% compared to 2019, as highlighted by GameSquare, the company that recently acquired FaZe Clan.
The free-to-access report also detailed key statistics related to the streaming industry, highlighting trends and growth areas identified over the last year. It discussed the shift in the content being streamed by gamers, the potential of multicasting, and the power of indie games. Industry experts and big-name creators like Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins provided valuable insights, making this report well worth reading.
Monumental Growth
According to the report, esports viewership reached 1.58 billion hours in 2020 and has now exceeded 2.76 billion watch hours. The industry has seen significant growth, with viewership records being shattered by the highest-performing tournaments. For example:
- League of Legends World Championship (2023) – 146,870,583 hours watched, 6.4 million peak concurrent
- MPL Indonesia Season 12 (2023) – 116,711,889 hours watched, 2.1 million peak concurrent
- M5 World Championship (2023) – 72,160,064 hours watched, 5.09 million peak concurrent
- LCK Spring 2023 (2023) – 69,059,483 hours watched, 1.46 million peak concurrent
Escharts reported that the 2021 League of Legends World Championship event holds the record for the most-watched esports tournament. However, ongoing trends suggest that this record could be surpassed in the future as the esports industry stabilizes and becomes increasingly valuable.
The report also emphasized the significant contribution of co-streaming channels to the overall viewership in 2023, along with the shift towards RPGs and action-adventure games taking center stage while battle royales and FPS games saw a decline in popularity.
Trends on Trends
The GameSquare report outlined various trends, including the value of creator-backed events and communities, as well as the potential for indie developers to leverage small-to-mid-size streamers to reach a global audience. Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins spoke about the ongoing success of ‘simulcasting’ or ‘multicasting’:
‘I love multicasting and definitely think it’s the future for all gaming creators. I’ve never looked back since making this move late in 2022. I’m stoked with the audience growth and engagement I’ve seen across the board, and that I can connect with my fans at the same time, no matter the platform they are using.’
It was reported that since starting his multicasting journey, Ninja’s average viewership has increased by 108% year-on-year.
The free-to-access report provides detailed information and insights for content creators and small developers to maximize their revenue and viewership streams.
For more esports industry news, stay tuned to Esports.net
