Twitch just surpassed 3 billion hours watched for the first time

Olivia Richman Published 06/04/2020

People have been turning to Twitch in record numbers amidst lockdown orders due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Twitch shared their Q1 numbers from 2020 and they show that people are turning to streamers while under strict orders to stay inside. The Amazon-owned streaming platform surprassed 3 billion hours watched for the first time in its history. It also reached all-time highs for average concurrent viewership, up 15.5% compared to the previous quarter.

Twitch made up 65% of the total hours of streaming watched this quarter, but Facebook Gaming, Mixer, and other streaming platforms also saw increases due to lockdowns around the world. YouTube Gaming made up 22% of the views, with a little over 1 billion hours of viewership, followed by Facebook Gaming. That platform made up 11% with over 550 million hours of viewership. Mixer came in at 2% of viewership, with 81 million hours watched this quarter.

Streamers have been taking full advantage of the increased visibility. The platform experienced record-breaking streaming hours, with over 121 million hours streamed in Q1. That’s 72% of the total hours of streamed footage online. Mixer followed after, making up 17%, followed by YouTube Gaming Live and then streamers on Facebook Gaming.

Most viewed esports of 2020 so far

The gaming event with the most viewership in 2020 thus far is Awesome Games Done Quick. The speedrunning event raised millions for charity back in January. The two events coming in behind the speedrunning gathering took place during the lockdown. The LEC had almost 21 million hours watched, followed by the LCK with 17.7 million hours watched.

It’s no surprise then that League of Legends is currently the most viewed game of 2020. So far, the MOBA has pulled in well over 427 million hours watched. It’s followed by Fortnite, which is no stranger to the top streaming spot, with 287 million hours watched. Twitch’s Just Chatting category is in third, with 285 million hours watched in 2020 so far. This is no surprise, since many people following social distancing orders probably enjoy having someone to chat with.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

View full profile

Read Also

League of Legends

Fnatic founder denies rumors of organization being sold Hannan Mundia Fnatic founder and CEO Sam Mathews denied that the organization is set to be sold in the coming weeks. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that Fnatic has seen much better days. The team’s League of Legends and CS2 rosters have been seeing multiple recent changes, and the VALORANT team’s performance has been mixed this year. Considering the team’s performance, it didn’t surprise many when reports that the organization was ...

League of Legends

Hanwha Life Esports defeats T1 to qualify for MSI Hannan Mundia After a surprisingly one-sided match, Hanwha Life Esports defeated the reigning champions T1 to qualify for MSI at the 2026 LCK Road to MSI. The LCK is by far considered the strongest League of Legends region. While T1 and Gen.G’s rivalry is iconic, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that recent roster changes put HLE on the same playing field as the two giants. The addition of Zeus and ...

Esports Betting

T1 vs Gen.G 2026: Best betting odds and picks for LCK Road to MSI Hannan Mundia The 2026 LCK Road to MSI is almost over, with T1 and Gen.G having one last rematch in this split to determine which team qualifies for MSI. Both teams are in excellent shape, though T1’s recent loss against Hanwha Life Esports may put it at a disadvantage. Gen.G is looking extremely strong currently, and the clean sweep against KT Rolster proves that the team means business. Tournament: 2026 LCK Season ...

Esports Betting

Bilibili Gaming vs Team WE: Best betting odds and picks for the LPL Split 2 2026 Wasif Ahmed Bilibili Gaming faces Team WE in the LPL Split 2 playoffs, with neither team expected to be in the lower final. Everyone thought that BLG would go through the upper bracket and that WE would lose in the first round. Yet Team WE were the ones who knocked BLG down to the lower bracket. Now, the two teams rematch for the LPL’s final spot at Mid-Season Invitational. Tournament: LPL Split ...

Esports Betting

Gen.G vs KT Rolster 2026: Best betting odds and picks for LCK Road to MSI 2026 Hannan Mundia The 2026 LCK Road to MSI split is in full swing, with Gen.G and KT Rolster about to face off in round four to determine which team competes for a chance to qualify for MSI. Gen.G may be one of the strongest professional teams in the region, but KT Rolster has taken down the fan-favorite last year at Worlds when the stakes were higher than ever. The looming question here ...

Esports Betting

Hanwha Life Esports vs T1: Best betting odds and picks for the LCK Road to MSI 2026 match Hannan Mundia After a long rest, Hanwha Life Esports and T1 will compete in the 2026 LCK Road to MSI’s third round to determine which team gets an instant pass to MSI. Both teams performed the best in the recent LCK split, resulting in them getting the best possible seeds for the Road to MSI. The winner of this match qualifies for MSI, while the loser get one more chance in the ...

Esports Betting

After a perfect split, C9 might lose LCS playoffs for the 8th time in a row Ben Boland After going 7-0 in the regular season, Cloud9 lost to LYON in the LCS Spring Split playoffs. Despite dominating through the entire split, they now sit in the loser’s bracket after a 3-0 loss. This wouldn’t be alarming for any other team. However, this is already the story of Cloud9’s last seven splits. C9 completed the regular season of the LCS Spring Split 2026 without dropping a single match. In ...