Twitch
Hoping to be able to stream your career on Twitch is a dream for many kids, especially the younger ones. In a communication market that is constantly changing, Ninja is certainly a reference figure for all those who dream of starting this career. The streamer has therefore decided to give valuable advice to all those who wish to start this adventure.Twitch Ninja's words came during an interview with CNET. In the chat with his American colleagues, the streamer addressed some aspects of his career and his life, while reserving the space to give advice to the younger ones. "Unless someone is a real professional, when you start streaming and you need to build a brand, it is important to start with small games, which have smaller communities", Ninja's words declared during the interview.
YouTuber and professional gamer @Ninja has spent his life playing games and making a fortune from it. He now shares his secrets of him for those who want to follow his footsteps of him. pic.twitter.com/rOwbYW6jYh
- CNET (@CNET) June 17, 2022
Ninja's advice is definitely the most suitable and comes from a person who Not only did Twitch make its job, it also managed to make it mainstream. With 17 million followers, the US streamer was able to become a true superstar of his work, so much so that he was even invited to celebrate the New Year in Times Square. Power of the web, power of new technologies and above all the result of hard work. Maybe it's worth listening to, don't you think?
Can Twitch Still Rule the Livestream App Market as Growth Slows? | Chart
The platform’s monthly visits have grown 93% in the last three years, but there are early signs of a plateau
But after huge growth in the first year of the pandemic, the platform’s user base is starting to plateau in recent months. The platform peaked with monthly visits this January at more than 1.2 billion, but it is falling steady at around 1.1 billion monthly visits from February to April. It increased again to 1.2 billion in May, but experts say Twitch’s growth will begin to slow.
“Recent Similarweb data shows that the platform is experiencing a deceleration or stagnation in growth as it matures, facing a world that’s transitioning back to normal and the looming threat of its strongest competitor — Youtube,” Sneha Pandey, Similarweb insights manager, told TheWrap.
From May 2019 to May 2022, Twitch has doubled in monthly visits, growing a whopping 93% since the start of COVID. (Similarweb)Like many digital services, Twitch saw an uptick in traffic during the pandemic as travel and in-person activity came to a halt. From May 2019 to May 2022, Similarweb estimates the platform has nearly doubled monthly visits, which have grown a whopping 93% since the start of COVID. This year, the service has amassed more than 6 billion total visits as of May, according to Similarweb. Twitch originally launched in 2011 as a spinoff of streaming platform Justin.tv and was later acquired by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million.
Out of the top 10 livestream apps, Twitch has held this top spot since 2020, while smaller competitors Bigo Live, Uplive and Tango are slowly establishing themselves in local markets like India.
“Since its inception, Twitch rapidly dominated the video game livestreaming market by accumulating a massive creator and viewership base in the online gaming community,” Pandey said.
Tyler “Ninja” Blevins plays “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4” during the Doritos Bowl 2018 at TwitchCon 2018. (Robert Reiners/Getty Images)However, Twitch hasn’t been immune to a slowdown in activity lately, much like other platforms that saw activities spike during COVID. Recent Similarweb analysis shows the platform is seeing some stagnation as it matures in an economy transitioning back to previous levels. Inevitably, companies will start to see a correction across the digital and streaming industries as accelerated growth declines.
“Despite the slowdown, Twitch continues to grow, but at a slower rate than the previous year. On average, 13% of its audience comprises new users,” Pandey added.
Another reason Twitch might face a downturn is increased competition in the market from other platforms that have integrated livestreaming features. YouTube remains one of Twitch’s biggest rivals in the video business, while TikTok and Instagram have also invested more into content creator programs and livestreaming capabilities.
“While Twitch will likely remain the top livestreaming platform in Western markets even amidst challenges from YouTube and Facebook, elsewhere Twitch is facing growing competition from platforms that are better optimized or localized for their respective, mobile-first markets,” Dennis Yeh, insights analyst at Sensor Tower, said.
As the fight over content creators continues, the success of these platforms might come down to the diversity and monetization of user-generated content. Instead of heavily produced videos with a professional quality, users increasingly prefer authentic content they might see on their social media feeds, Flynn Zaiger, CEO of digital marketing agency Online Optimism, explained.
“Twitch streaming still feels like old-school, prepared social media, streaming with thousands of dollars’ worth of graphics cards, ring lights and LEDs [performance] shows,” Zaiger said. “The individuals using TikTok’s livestreaming features are far more toned down [than Twitch streams], and if consumer attitudes continue to prefer these more IRL-feeling platforms, you may see Twitch’s viewership drop.”
Representatives for Twitch didn’t respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.