Virtual creator livestreaming sees its first decline after record-setting quarters while independent streamers gain market share.
Viewership declined in the third quarter of 2025, with total Hours Watched (HW) falling to 462.5 million, according to a joint report from Streams Charts and VSTATS. This represents a 12.3% decrease from previous quarters, though the report notes this follows the most-watched quarters in the industry’s history.
The decline coincides with an overall reduction in broadcasting time across the virtual creator ecosystem, suggesting the dip may reflect a natural adjustment after record growth rather than waning interest in the format.
“The record-breaking expansion of VTubing may have calmed down, but top creators continued consistent support from their followers,” the report states.
Independent Creators Gain Market Share
The report’s expanded dataset, now tracking more than 11,000 active VTubing channels, shows independent creators capturing an increasing share of the market previously dominated by established agencies.
Top agencies such as hololive and NIJISANJI recorded substantial drops in watch time during Q3, with the gap between these industry leaders narrowing to just 0.5%. The agencies’ performance was influenced by hosting fewer large-scale events this quarter compared to previous periods.
Korean VTubing group ISEGYE IDOL emerged as Q3’s biggest winner, increasing watch time by almost 24% compared to Q2 and capturing 1.8% of global VTubing viewership.
Platform Distribution Shifts
Twitch continues to attract new entrants to the VTubing scene, while YouTube Live maintains its position as the primary platform for viewership, largely due to its strong presence in the Japanese market.
Smaller platforms, including Kick, Naver’s CHZZK, and SOOP Korea (formerly AfreecaTV), maintained stable viewership and creator bases throughout the quarter. The report notes that Kick VTubers are predominantly independent creators, while Korean platforms have established the first agency-backed VTubing groups for their audiences.
Demographics and Geographic Trends
The demographics of VTubing shifted slightly in Q3, with active female creators who previously comprised nearly two-thirds of all virtual streamers seeing a modest decline in their overall share. Other demographic categories remained stable.
Japan’s dominance is gradually decreasing as the industry expands globally. English-speaking countries, along with Taiwan, South Korea, and Thailand, represent strong markets for virtual creators.
Top Performers Maintain Leadership
Individual creator rankings showed minimal changes, with Pekora maintaining the top position, followed by Miko and Kuzuha. Hololive creators dominated the higher rankings, while South Korea’s 탬탬버린 became the only VTuber from Naver’s CHZZK to appear on the global leaderboard.
Former VShojo creators ironmouse and MichiMochievee secured positions in the rankings despite their agency’s closure earlier in the quarter. MichiMochievee’s “Scamberthon” marathon event in August propelled her to the top of Twitch charts, supplemented by strong viewership during a Twitch Drops-enhanced Rust event.
Context and Trajectory
The slight Q3 decline follows notable growth in the virtual creator space. According to YouTube data published earlier this year, videos related to VTubers have averaged 50 billion views annually over the past three years, with a sample of just 300 Virtual Creators generating more than 15 billion views across videos, livestreams, and Shorts last year.
YouTube’s 2024 fandom trends report found that 57% of online users aged 14 to 44 watched virtual creator content in the past year, demonstrating mainstream adoption compared to 2020, when fewer than half of respondents expressed interest in the format.
Despite the Q3 slowdown, Stream Charts and VSTATS reiterate that 2025 remains VTubing’s most successful year on record, with the industry continuing to diversify beyond its Japanese origins. Independent VTubers from around the world are establishing their presence in the livestreaming ecosystem, bringing virtual creator content to new audiences globally.
Image credit: Stream Charts & VSTATS The full report is available here
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.
Virtual creator livestreaming sees its first decline after record-setting quarters while independent streamers gain market share.
Viewership declined in the third quarter of 2025, with total Hours Watched (HW) falling to 462.5 million, according to a joint report from Streams Charts and VSTATS. This represents a 12.3% decrease from previous quarters, though the report notes this follows the most-watched quarters in the industry’s history.
The decline coincides with an overall reduction in broadcasting time across the virtual creator ecosystem, suggesting the dip may reflect a natural adjustment after record growth rather than waning interest in the format.
“The record-breaking expansion of VTubing may have calmed down, but top creators continued consistent support from their followers,” the report states.
Independent Creators Gain Market Share
The report’s expanded dataset, now tracking more than 11,000 active VTubing channels, shows independent creators capturing an increasing share of the market previously dominated by established agencies.
Top agencies such as hololive and NIJISANJI recorded substantial drops in watch time during Q3, with the gap between these industry leaders narrowing to just 0.5%. The agencies’ performance was influenced by hosting fewer large-scale events this quarter compared to previous periods.
Korean VTubing group ISEGYE IDOL emerged as Q3’s biggest winner, increasing watch time by almost 24% compared to Q2 and capturing 1.8% of global VTubing viewership.
Platform Distribution Shifts
Twitch continues to attract new entrants to the VTubing scene, while YouTube Live maintains its position as the primary platform for viewership, largely due to its strong presence in the Japanese market.
Smaller platforms, including Kick, Naver’s CHZZK, and SOOP Korea (formerly AfreecaTV), maintained stable viewership and creator bases throughout the quarter. The report notes that Kick VTubers are predominantly independent creators, while Korean platforms have established the first agency-backed VTubing groups for their audiences.
Demographics and Geographic Trends
The demographics of VTubing shifted slightly in Q3, with active female creators who previously comprised nearly two-thirds of all virtual streamers seeing a modest decline in their overall share. Other demographic categories remained stable.
Japan’s dominance is gradually decreasing as the industry expands globally. English-speaking countries, along with Taiwan, South Korea, and Thailand, represent strong markets for virtual creators.
Top Performers Maintain Leadership
Individual creator rankings showed minimal changes, with Pekora maintaining the top position, followed by Miko and Kuzuha. Hololive creators dominated the higher rankings, while South Korea’s 탬탬버린 became the only VTuber from Naver’s CHZZK to appear on the global leaderboard.
Former VShojo creators ironmouse and MichiMochievee secured positions in the rankings despite their agency’s closure earlier in the quarter. MichiMochievee’s “Scamberthon” marathon event in August propelled her to the top of Twitch charts, supplemented by strong viewership during a Twitch Drops-enhanced Rust event.
Context and Trajectory
The slight Q3 decline follows notable growth in the virtual creator space. According to YouTube data published earlier this year, videos related to VTubers have averaged 50 billion views annually over the past three years, with a sample of just 300 Virtual Creators generating more than 15 billion views across videos, livestreams, and Shorts last year.
YouTube’s 2024 fandom trends report found that 57% of online users aged 14 to 44 watched virtual creator content in the past year, demonstrating mainstream adoption compared to 2020, when fewer than half of respondents expressed interest in the format.
Despite the Q3 slowdown, Stream Charts and VSTATS reiterate that 2025 remains VTubing’s most successful year on record, with the industry continuing to diversify beyond its Japanese origins. Independent VTubers from around the world are establishing their presence in the livestreaming ecosystem, bringing virtual creator content to new audiences globally.
Image credit: Stream Charts & VSTATS
The full report is available here
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