Livestreaming recorded broad growth across major platforms in the first quarter of 2026, with total hours watched, hours streamed, and unique channels all rising quarter-over-quarter, according to a new report from Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet published June 10.
Total hours watched across all tracked platforms climbed from 20.90 billion in Q4 2025 to 21.49 billion in Q1 2026, a 2.83% increase. On a year-over-year basis, total hours watched rose approximately 2.87%, up from 20.89 billion in Q1 2025.
Creator Activity Increases
Total hours streamed across all platforms increased from 318.8 million in Q4 2025 to 330.3 million in Q1 2026, a 3.63% quarter-over-quarter gain. Compared to Q1 2025, hours streamed grew approximately 6.24%.
Unique channels reached 11.75 million in Q1 2026, up from 11.45 million in Q4 2025, a 2.62% quarter-over-quarter increase. Year-over-year, however, unique channels declined approximately 3.73%, down from 12.20 million in Q1 2025.
Kick Extends Year-Over-Year Growth
Kick posted the sharpest year-over-year gains of any major platform tracked in the report. The platform recorded 1.27 billion hours watched in Q1 2026, up from 770.4 million in Q1 2025, a 65.35% increase. Quarter-over-quarter, hours watched rose 4.74% from 1.22 billion in Q4 2025.
Creator activity on Kick also grew substantially. Hours streamed reached 15.61 million in Q1 2026, a 6.64% increase from 14.64 million in Q4 2025 and a 69.71% rise compared to Q1 2025. Unique channels on the platform grew 3.15% quarter-over-quarter to 766,495, and climbed 54.49% from 496,161 in Q1 2025. Kick accounted for 14.4% of total hours watched across all platforms in Q1 2026.
Twitch Records Short-Term Recovery, Remains Down Year-Over-Year
Twitch saw quarter-over-quarter improvements across all three tracked metrics but continued to post year-over-year declines. The platform recorded 4.55 billion hours watched in Q1 2026, up 3.90% from 4.38 billion in Q4 2025. Year-over-year, viewership declined approximately 13.68%, down from 5.27 billion hours in Q1 2025, a loss of 720.7 million hours.
Hours streamed on Twitch rose 4.02% quarter-over-quarter to 215.8 million, but fell approximately 2.45% from 221.2 million in Q1 2025. Unique channels increased 4.20% from Q4 2025 to reach 8.74 million, while declining approximately 5.50% from 9.25 million one year earlier.
Twitch held 51.3% of total hours watched across all platforms in Q1 2026, along with 76.0% of total hours streamed and 80.3% of unique channels.
YouTube Gaming Posts Viewership Gains as Channels Soften
YouTube Gaming recorded 2.22 billion hours watched in Q1 2026, up 1.58% from 2.19 billion in Q4 2025. Year-over-year, viewership grew approximately 14.63% from 1.94 billion hours in Q1 2025. The platform accounted for 25.1% of total hours watched across all platforms.
Hours streamed on YouTube Gaming declined slightly, falling 1.37% quarter-over-quarter to 29.0 million from 29.4 million in Q4 2025. Compared to Q1 2025, hours streamed increased approximately 13.03%. Unique channels fell 3.65% quarter-over-quarter to 1.07 million, and dropped approximately 9.92% from 1.19 million in Q1 2025.
‘Just Chatting’ Leads Content Consumption
“Just Chatting” generated the most hours watched across all platforms in Q1 2026, accumulating 1.07 billion hours. The category also led hours streamed across all platforms at 13.3 million and topped both Twitch (668.2 million hours watched) and Kick (303.8 million hours watched) individually.
“League of Legends” ranked second by hours watched across all platforms at 485.3 million, followed by “Grand Theft Auto V” at 456.1 million.
Top Esports Events and Publishers
Among esports events, the 2026 BLAST Open Rotterdam drew the most viewership at 27 million hours watched. The 2026 VALORANT Masters 1 Santiago followed at 25 million, and the 2026 First Stand tournament registered 24 million hours watched.
Riot Games led all publishers in hours watched across platforms, accumulating 916.8 million hours. Tencent Games ranked second at 720.8 million, followed by Valve Corporation at 594.5 million. On Kick specifically, Rockstar Games ranked as the top publisher with 193 million hours watched.
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
Livestreaming recorded broad growth across major platforms in the first quarter of 2026, with total hours watched, hours streamed, and unique channels all rising quarter-over-quarter, according to a new report from Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet published June 10.
Total hours watched across all tracked platforms climbed from 20.90 billion in Q4 2025 to 21.49 billion in Q1 2026, a 2.83% increase. On a year-over-year basis, total hours watched rose approximately 2.87%, up from 20.89 billion in Q1 2025.
Creator Activity Increases
Total hours streamed across all platforms increased from 318.8 million in Q4 2025 to 330.3 million in Q1 2026, a 3.63% quarter-over-quarter gain. Compared to Q1 2025, hours streamed grew approximately 6.24%.
Unique channels reached 11.75 million in Q1 2026, up from 11.45 million in Q4 2025, a 2.62% quarter-over-quarter increase. Year-over-year, however, unique channels declined approximately 3.73%, down from 12.20 million in Q1 2025.
Kick Extends Year-Over-Year Growth
Kick posted the sharpest year-over-year gains of any major platform tracked in the report. The platform recorded 1.27 billion hours watched in Q1 2026, up from 770.4 million in Q1 2025, a 65.35% increase. Quarter-over-quarter, hours watched rose 4.74% from 1.22 billion in Q4 2025.
Creator activity on Kick also grew substantially. Hours streamed reached 15.61 million in Q1 2026, a 6.64% increase from 14.64 million in Q4 2025 and a 69.71% rise compared to Q1 2025. Unique channels on the platform grew 3.15% quarter-over-quarter to 766,495, and climbed 54.49% from 496,161 in Q1 2025. Kick accounted for 14.4% of total hours watched across all platforms in Q1 2026.
Twitch Records Short-Term Recovery, Remains Down Year-Over-Year
Twitch saw quarter-over-quarter improvements across all three tracked metrics but continued to post year-over-year declines. The platform recorded 4.55 billion hours watched in Q1 2026, up 3.90% from 4.38 billion in Q4 2025. Year-over-year, viewership declined approximately 13.68%, down from 5.27 billion hours in Q1 2025, a loss of 720.7 million hours.
Hours streamed on Twitch rose 4.02% quarter-over-quarter to 215.8 million, but fell approximately 2.45% from 221.2 million in Q1 2025. Unique channels increased 4.20% from Q4 2025 to reach 8.74 million, while declining approximately 5.50% from 9.25 million one year earlier.
Twitch held 51.3% of total hours watched across all platforms in Q1 2026, along with 76.0% of total hours streamed and 80.3% of unique channels.
YouTube Gaming Posts Viewership Gains as Channels Soften
YouTube Gaming recorded 2.22 billion hours watched in Q1 2026, up 1.58% from 2.19 billion in Q4 2025. Year-over-year, viewership grew approximately 14.63% from 1.94 billion hours in Q1 2025. The platform accounted for 25.1% of total hours watched across all platforms.
Hours streamed on YouTube Gaming declined slightly, falling 1.37% quarter-over-quarter to 29.0 million from 29.4 million in Q4 2025. Compared to Q1 2025, hours streamed increased approximately 13.03%. Unique channels fell 3.65% quarter-over-quarter to 1.07 million, and dropped approximately 9.92% from 1.19 million in Q1 2025.
‘Just Chatting’ Leads Content Consumption
“Just Chatting” generated the most hours watched across all platforms in Q1 2026, accumulating 1.07 billion hours. The category also led hours streamed across all platforms at 13.3 million and topped both Twitch (668.2 million hours watched) and Kick (303.8 million hours watched) individually.
“League of Legends” ranked second by hours watched across all platforms at 485.3 million, followed by “Grand Theft Auto V” at 456.1 million.
Top Esports Events and Publishers
Among esports events, the 2026 BLAST Open Rotterdam drew the most viewership at 27 million hours watched. The 2026 VALORANT Masters 1 Santiago followed at 25 million, and the 2026 First Stand tournament registered 24 million hours watched.
Riot Games led all publishers in hours watched across platforms, accumulating 916.8 million hours. Tencent Games ranked second at 720.8 million, followed by Valve Corporation at 594.5 million. On Kick specifically, Rockstar Games ranked as the top publisher with 193 million hours watched.
Image source: Streamlabs, Stream Hatchet
The full report is available here
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