What Is Twitch? How Gamers and Creators Use It
Twitch is a live-streaming platform mainly known for video game streaming and esports events. Along with gaming, it also features content related to music, art, creativity, educational topics, and more recently, “in real life” (IRL) streams.
The platform was founded in 2011 by Justin Kan. The idea came from his experiment of live-streaming his daily life, which quickly attracted others who wanted to do the same. In 2014, Twitch was acquired by Amazon, marking the start of its journey toward becoming the world’s leading live-streaming platform.
In 2016, Twitch recorded around 590,000 average daily viewers, according to Twitch Tracker. By 2018, this number had nearly doubled to about 1.07 million daily viewers. By February 2020, the platform had grown to 3 million monthly streamers and 15 million daily active users, with an average of 1.4 million concurrent viewers.
During July 2020, Twitch saw an 83.1% year-on-year increase in watch time, reaching 5 billion hours viewed in the second quarter of 2020 alone. Between January and May 2020, nearly 3.5 million new users began streaming on the platform.
Originally, Twitch was created to let people stream their gameplay online. While gaming remains its core focus, the platform now offers a wide variety of content categories.
In 2020, Twitch experienced a 385% year-on-year growth in views for music and performing arts content. However, video games still make up the majority of views and the total time users spend watching streams on the platform.
Twitch Expands Its Audience by Introducing New IRL Categories
Art
Hobbies & Crafts
Food & Drink
Music & Performing Arts
Beauty & Body Art
Science & Technology
Tabletop RPGs
Special Events
Talk Shows & Podcasts
ASMR
Just Chatting
Travel & Outdoors
Sporting & Fitness
These updates have made it much easier for non-gaming audiences to discover relevant content on Twitch. At the same time, non-gaming creators now find it simpler to connect with brands and sponsors that match their niche.
By 2021, Twitch’s average concurrent user count crossed 2 million. According to Twitch Tracker, the platform attracts over 2 million simultaneous viewers on average, including around 125,000 French-speaking users.
Live streamers and professional gamers mainly showcase their skills to highly engaged audiences on Twitch. Beyond gaming, creators can also share personal videos to build stronger connections with their communities. Anyone with a smartphone, gaming console, or computer can upload and stream content on the platform.
As a social media platform, Twitch allows users to share videos and interact with their audiences in real time. Every live stream includes a chat feature, enabling creators to communicate directly with viewers and build genuine engagement.
Twitch leads the live-streaming space, accounting for 72.2% of all live-stream viewing hours on the internet. Users spend more than 4.4 billion minutes per month watching live streams. This massive growth accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing strong attention from brands and advertisers.
Many brands looking to reach new audiences have recognized the influence of Twitch creators and are actively investing in the platform. While some brands are still hesitant to adopt Twitch marketing, this presents a valuable opportunity for early adopters before the space becomes overcrowded.
Today, viewers can watch creators stream almost anything ranging from gaming and cooking to art, travel, and podcasting often through collaborations between brands and influencers. By April 2021, over 9 million creators were actively producing content on Twitch. Shortly after, Amazon announced that Twitch had reached 120 million monthly viewers worldwide.
Since most popular live streams last over an hour, Twitch allows influencers to create long-form, unscripted content in a relaxed and natural environment. This format feels authentic and helps audiences connect more deeply.
By streaming directly from their homes, studios, or kitchens, creators invite viewers into their personal spaces, making interactions feel more real and personal.
Over time, many creators have built loyal communities, attracting attention from brands, advertisers, and media outlets alike.
Twitch has become impossible to ignore as a marketing platform. While the average mobile viewing session on YouTube lasts about 40 minutes, Twitch users spend nearly 95 minutes per session more than double. In total, Twitch users watch around 71 million hours of content, roughly 14% of YouTube’s viewing time.
How to Access Twitch?
Twitch can be accessed on multiple platforms. Users can watch live streams by visiting the official Twitch website or by downloading the Twitch app. The app is available on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and streaming devices such as Chromecast and Apple TV.
Creating a Twitch account is completely free for both viewers and streamers. However, an account is required if you want to interact in live chats, follow creators, or subscribe to your favourite channels.
How Twitch Works
When watching a live stream or broadcast on Twitch, viewers usually see a split-screen layout. This shows what the streamer is viewing on their screen, along with a smaller window where you can watch and hear the streamer in real time.
Twitch allows influencers and their audiences to interact through live chat, where they can share stories and discuss games or topics in detail. This interaction often builds strong relationships, turning followers into loyal community members. As a result, viewers are more likely to trust and engage with recommendations about brands, products, or services, making Twitch a powerful platform for promotions.
Beyond gaming, Twitch also serves lifestyle creators who stream content based on shared interests, helping them build active and engaged communities.
Twitch offers both free and paid options. While the free version includes ads, paid subscriptions remove ads and provide additional features related to social interaction, streaming tools, and content storage.
How Brands Can Effectively Promote Themselves on Twitch
You may wonder why Twitch should be chosen over other social media platforms for brand promotion. One of the biggest reasons is the rapid growth of influencer marketing on Twitch. Users on the platform are highly active and engaged, with studies showing that 58% of Twitch users have posted online reviews about a product, service, or company. Additionally, 45% of users say they are willing to make a purchase simply to feel part of a community.
One major advantage of working with a Twitch Influencer Marketing company in India is that brand promotions happen live and in real time through the right creators. Unlike other platforms where promotions are static and end once the post is published, Twitch streams allow continuous interaction. On many platforms, engagement is often limited to likes and comments, but on Twitch, conversations happen live and feel more personal.
This strong willingness to support and talk about brands online acts as organic word-of-mouth marketing for businesses. Today, consumers rely heavily on online reviews, with 97% considering reviews before making a purchase. When brands successfully turn an influencer’s followers into members of their own brand community, they can create long-term brand advocates, which often leads to repeat sales. Research also shows that Twitch users are 34% more likely than the average consumer to want brands to maintain an active online community.
As one of the fastest-growing live-streaming platforms, Twitch continues to attract larger and more targeted audiences. This growth makes it a powerful marketing channel, offering brands a strong opportunity to run focused, effective, and community-driven promotional campaigns.
Contact Idiotic Media a leading Influencer Marketing Agency in India.