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Streamlabs & Stream Hatchet Q2 report shows a decline in hours watched, streamed

Fewer people are watching and streaming than in the previous quarter according to the latest reports from Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet.

Morgan Shaver

August 9, 2022 9:00 AM

Streamlabs

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Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet have released its Q2 livestreaming industry report which notes that every major streaming platform experienced a decline in hours watched, streamed, unique channels, and average concurrent viewership.

More specifically, things like hours watched across all platforms decreased by 8.4 percent in contrast to the previous quarter, and hours streamed across all platforms decreased by 12 percent. Looking at the graph provided with the report, Q2 2022 saw 220 million hours streamed across all platforms, down from Q1 2022’s total of 250 million.

Additionally, this decline is a continuation of the steady decline seen from Q1 2021 onward, with Q1 2021 reaching an impressive 294 million hours watched. While areas such as hours watched and hours streamed saw noticeable declines, Twitch’s “Just Chatting” category enjoyed its highest ever total of hours watched in Q2 with 828 million hours.

To further emphasize the popularity of the Just Chatting category, games like Grand Theft Auto V and League of Legends hit 464 million and 464 million hours watched respectively. Not only are Twitch categories like Just Chatting enjoying success, but as a whole Twitch remains the biggest driver of hours streamed in Q2 with 92.7 percent of total hours streamed (204 hours) coming from Twitch.

In contrast, YouTube Gaming only saw 3.7 percent or around 8 million hours, while Facebook Gaming pulled up the rear with 3.6 percent or 7.94 million hours watched. For more on where livestreaming is at in Q2 compared to previous quarters, be sure to read through the full report from Streamlabs and Stream Hatchet.

After you’re all caught up, we’re curious to hear your thoughts. What do you attribute the cause of the decline in hours watched and streamed? Let us know in Chatty!

For more on streaming platforms like Twitch, also be sure to read through some of our previous coverage including how TwitchCon San Diego 2022 is ditching COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine requirements, and how Facebook Gaming recently saw a sharp viewership increase in June 2022.

Morgan Shaver

Senior Editor

Morgan is a writer from the frozen wastelands of Maine who enjoys metal music, kpop, horror, and indie games. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver.