Q1 2026 Livestreaming Report: TikTok Down 11.92%, Twitch Grows 4.46%

Industry Overview

Streams Charts reported in their new Global Livestreaming Landscape analysis that the first quarter of 2026 revealed a livestreaming industry in transition. Total hours watched across major platforms exceeded 29 billion hours, representing a 3% quarter-over-quarter decline compared to Q4 2025's 30 billion hours.

The decline was primarily driven by TikTok Live's sharp drop, which began in late January and continued into February 2026, coinciding with the legal and technical separation of the platform's U.S. segment under the TikTok USDS framework.

Major Platform Performance

YouTube Live: Market Leader Holds Steady

YouTube Live maintained its position as the dominant livestreaming platform with 13.562 billion hours watched, experiencing only a marginal 0.24% decline. While statistically minor for a platform of this scale, the drop still represents approximately 30 million hours in absolute terms.

YouTube Gaming accounted for 2.027B hours (15%) of total viewership. The platform saw strength in Brazilian sports (particularly football), Hispanic reality shows, and news segments. TheBurntPeanut emerged as the top individual channel, surpassing even global star IShowSpeed.

TikTok Live: Sharp Decline Amid U.S. Restructuring

TikTok Live recorded the industry's steepest decline at −11.92%, falling to 8.831 billion hours watched. The platform's gaming content accounted for 1.496B hours (17%) of total viewership.

The downturn coincided with the platform's technical and legal restructuring of U.S. operations under the USDS framework. Conversational broadcasts remained the dominant category, while Roblox emerged as the leading game title, outperforming traditional mobile gaming favorites.

Twitch: Strongest Growth Among Major Platforms

Twitch posted the strongest performance among major platforms with a +4.46% increase, reaching 4.366 billion hours watched. Gaming content dominated at 3.383B hours (77.5%) of total viewership.

Growth was driven by the launch of new competitive esports seasons in League of Legends and Counter-Strike, alongside new viewership incentives for Overwatch and Rocket League tournaments. U.S.-based creators dominated the top rankings, with TheBurntPeanut, Jynxzi, zackrawrr, Caedrel (UK), and HasanAbi leading the most-watched channels.

Twitch viewership remained stable throughout Q1 2026, with Just Chatting, League of Legends, and Counter-Strike leading category rankings.

Kick: Continued Growth in Gaming and Sports

Kick ended the quarter with positive momentum, growing +1.79% to 1.448 billion hours watched. Gaming content made up 757.9M hours (52.3%) of total viewership.

March was the platform's strongest month, driven by viral boxing and MMA events. Unlike Twitch's U.S.-dominated rankings, Kick's top creators showed a more diverse geographical spread, with Jordanian broadcasters leading viewership charts. GTA RP streams and Brazilian League of Legends esports were key growth drivers.

Content Trends Across Platforms

Just Chatting and conversational content remained the dominant category across Twitch, TikTok, and CHZZK. Gaming still drives significant viewership, but IRL and personality-driven streams continue to gain share.

Esports viewership surged in Q1 2026, particularly for League of Legends (Korean LCK, Brazilian CBLOL) and Counter-Strike. The Winter Olympics also contributed to viewership spikes on CHZZK and SOOP.

Regional localization continues to shape platform strategies. SOOP and CHZZK compete heavily in South Korea, while Kick and Twitch battle for the Brazilian esports audience. YouTube maintains dominance in Southeast Asia through Mobile Legends coverage.

Smaller Platform Updates

Outlook for Q2 2026

The livestreaming industry is entering a phase of consolidation, where growth is no longer guaranteed and platforms must actively compete for viewer attention. TikTok's Q1 decline raises questions about whether the U.S. restructuring will have long-term effects on engagement.

Twitch's strong esports-driven growth demonstrates the power of competitive gaming content, while Kick's ability to capture diverse international audiences shows the potential for alternative platforms. YouTube's stability suggests that scale and ecosystem integration provide a competitive moat against volatility.

Looking ahead, expect continued emphasis on localization, esports partnerships, and creator incentive programs as platforms battle for market share in an increasingly fragmented landscape.