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

Caps Hall of Legends skins prices and dates revealed Hannan Mundia Caps is the latest League of Legends player to be inducted into the Hall of Legends, and the LEC player’s dedicated skins have been revealed, including their prices and release dates. The Hall of Legends is Riot Games’ way to honor a handful of the most well-known and celebrated professional players associated with LoL. The first inductee was naturally Faker, while the second was Uzi. The third player is Caps, ...

League of Legends

Five Support Champions To Pick Up in LoL Patch 26.17 Ben Boland The support meta in League of Legends is one of the most highly discussed roles in the game right now. With Riot doubling down on the roaming support playstyle, we will likely see more champions added to the pool around the time of Worlds 2026, which begins on 15 October. At the time of writing this article, the current patch, 26.17, is being tested on the PBE, with the launch ...

League of Legends

These Are Five Top Lane Champions To Pick Up in League of Legends Patch 26.17 Ben Boland League of Legends patch 26.17 is just around the corner, and with that patch comes more changes to the role. The days of ADCs in the lane are starting to be a thing of the past, with more bruisers hitting the gym before the launch of 26.17. Many top laners are receiving buffs on the new patch, while powerhouses such as Nasus and Vayne are on the chopping block, making ...

League of Legends

Here Is What To Expect From the League of Legends Patch 26.17 Ben Boland It’s less than a week until the release of League of Legends Patch 26.17, and with this patch comes some significant nerfs to popular champions, item adjustments, and targeting roaming supports as mage bottom lanes dominate the meta. While there is plenty to unpack in this week's patch from Riot Games, two champions, Vayne and Xerath, have received the biggest nerfs across the board. Here are some of the biggest ...

League of Legends

Trade on LGD vs Bilibili Gaming at Polymarket — Use Promo Code WINGGPREMAR Ben Boland Bilibili Gaming comes into their best-of-three series against LGD Gaming as the overwhelming favorites, with Polymarket traders giving the MSI finalists an 83% implied probability of winning at the time of writing this article. The prediction market doesn’t give LGD much of a chance at all, and with traders backing BLG heavily, it paints a picture of who is most likely to win this series in the LPL Split 3, ...

League of Legends

Which Teams Should Be Panicking Ahead of LoL Worlds 2026? Ben Boland The 2026 League of Legends World Championship is fast approaching, with the tournament beginning on 15 October. 19 of the best teams that esports has to offer will do battle in North America for a shot at the Summoner's Cup. For teams like Bilibili Gaming and Hanwha Life Esports, their fates are already sealed without stepping foot on the Rift again, but for the rest of the teams, they will ...

League of Legends

Predictions For Gen.G vs Dplus KIA: Best Value Odds at GGBET Ben Boland Two of the more in-form teams in the LCK go head-to-head as Dplus KIA takes on Gen.G on 22 August. Despite the odds leaning more towards a Gen.G win, there are some solid bets to make across the board, not just simply the result. Dplus KIA have shown impressive form throughout the summer and so shouldn’t be discounted in this series. In this preview, we will highlight the best chances to ...