What the heck is Twitch? It’s the website 50 million people visit each month to watch live streams of others playing video games.
Why would anyone do that? It’s like Monday Night Football, but for people who love video games. Viewers flock to see players compete in League of Legends and other popular games. They cheer for their favorite competitors, gather game tips, chat with other fans, and sometimes stream their own gameplay.
How many people do it? Today, over 50 million people visit the site per month, up from 3.2 million in 2011.
How much time do they spend? The average viewer engages for 106 minutes each day. 58% of Twitch users watch more than 20 hours per week.
Really? Yes.
Who is on Twitch? The average age is 21, and 76% are between 18 and 49. My guess is Twitch membership skews male.
Is this going to last? Yes. Twitch is so popular that it is now baked into the newest game systems---Xbox One and PlayStation 4---so players can stream video with one click.
Why should I care? Twitch is capturing a hard-to-reach demographic and engaging them for big chunks of time. It is a great medium for video ads, but few advertisers are there. Plus, Google just bought them for a cool $1 billion, so they have momentum and money on their side.
What are the implications for your business?
- Should you immediately go learn more about Twitch?
- Should you test video or banner ads on Twitch?
For help developing powerful digital strategies that work, compelling marketing strategies that drive results, strategic plans that deliver growth, or new products that consumers love, contact Brandology at 925-417-2253 or Maura@Brandology.com.
Sources: Daily Dot 2014, Economist 2014, Twitch 2014
