IRL Streams Continue To Grow While Fortnite Numbers Fall
By Zac Cameron ·
The latest report from StreamElements reveals what we've been watching in 2018, and how we've been watching it.
Fortnite streams have continued to decline in Q4 of 2018, according to a new report from StreamElements. After previously reporting that the numbers were down in Q3, it looks like the numbers are still dropping in Q4, though the game is still the dominant force on Twitch overall.
In other areas of interest, it seems that the top streamers on Twitch are losing viewers, but still leading in viewing time overall, with the average viewing time for top 100 streamers being 28% longer than the 101-1000 group, and 62% longer than the 1001-10000 group.
However, in terms of raw hours watched, the top 100 are losing ground for the first time, as the 101-1000 group overtakes them. It seems diversity of viewing is starting to affect the bottom line for the top streamers on Twitch, with viewers perhaps seeking new, fresh content.
Twitch is still the king of streaming, with the total hours watched in 2018 reaching 9.36 Billion. YouTube is climbing however, reaching 2.31 Billion hours viewed, while Mixer is still hanging in at 167.96 Million hours viewed. In terms of growth, Twitch picked up 25% (506 Million hours), while YouTube claimed another 104% (414.5 Million hours), and Mixer had the biggest year with a 179% increase (39.6 Million hours).
The new category climbing the charts though, is IRL streaming, with “Just Chatting” rising higher and higher. Since the IRL split, “Just Chatting” has accounted for 86.9% of IRL hours viewed, with more than 138 Million hours spent watching people “Just Chat”.
Finally, compared to last year, Fortnite is the undisputed king of Twitch. After not even appearing in the top 10 of 2017, Fortnite has grown to overtake the previous top spot, League of Legends, while IRL / “Just Chatting” has picked up the number three spot, knocking games such as PUBG and Dota 2 out of the medal count.
At the end of the day, streaming has certainly become a big business, with fans willing to hang out and watch their favorite content creators across the board. Who knows what the future will hold for the industry, though our bet is that streaming will be involved somewhere along the line.