For years the Logitechmaker’s dashboard Streamlabs and its data partner Stream Hatchet have produced quarterly progress reports for the streaming industry. The Q3 2024 report shows a status quo that may surprise some observers. Despite noticeable increases for platforms such as Stairs And AfreecaTVowned by Amazon Pull is still the undisputed leader among streamers, accounting for more than 82% of all streaming hours during Q3.

Twitch’s challengers are coming, but they aren’t serious threats yet

Kick, a venture backed by the founders of gambling hub Stake.com, made waves when it debuted in late 2022. Streamers bragged about the thousands of dollars they made on Kick in a short time, and the platform courted big stars like xQc and Amouranth with expensive, exclusive contracts.

Some of that momentum is still strong. The Streamlabs report found that Kick’s total watch time doubled year-over-year, reaching a reach of 533.9 million total hours in the third quarter of 2024. One of the driving forces behind that growth is the enormous volume; total streaming hours on Kick approached eight million in the third quarter of 2024, after hovering around six million a year ago. It’s clear that Kick’s platform-wide investments, such as the Incentive Program, give the community some breadth.

Subscribe to get the latest creator news

Subscribe

But the number of unique channels on Kick appears to have stabilized after surpassing 500,000 in the second quarter of 2023. That number dropped below 400,000 in the latest Streamlabs report. A possible reason for the dip could be the declining popularity of exclusive streamer contracts, which was one of the main tactics Kick used to attract high-level talent. Cultural issues may also be contributing to Kick’s streamer exodus.

Twitch is home to the “long tail” of the streaming industry

The Streamlabs report contains numerous pie charts (including the one pictured above) showing Twitch’s dominance in streaming. The 13-year-old hub is not only responsible for 82% of streaming hours during the third quarter, but is also home to a whopping 85% of unique streaming channels.

In terms of viewing time, the playing field is more even. Twitch Claims about 60% of that pie, with YouTube Gaming, Kick and Korean startups AfreecaTV and CHZZK attracting significant attention. Based on that data, we can conclude that Twitch has more smaller channels than its competitors, with viewership less concentrated among the high-performing broadcasts.

Twitch’s control over the long tail of streaming invites comparison YouTubewhere the long tail of long-form creators has been around for a long time (sorry, that’s a lot of longs.) It’s no surprise then that Twitch is dealing with many of the same issues that YouTube faced in the 2010s. If you host a large number of creators, it can be difficult to standardize communication and revenue streams across the platform. That’s something Twitch found out the hard way.

The streaming landscape could look completely different in a year

Three years ago, Kick didn’t exist yet and AfreecaTV had barely grown out of its core Korean market. At the time, Streamlabs reports measured services such as Facebook gaming And Mixer which have now become defunct.

For now, Twitch is still the top dog in streaming, just like it was a year ago. But things can change quickly. Right-facing streaming hub Clutter had a coming out party on Election Day, when it set viewership records. Will it still be thriving in a year? Will Kick continue to grow, or will the promise of its early days fade? Can Twitch keep its huge community happy?

Thanks to Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet, we can update the answers to these questions quarterly. Until then, you can view the latest report by clicking here.