The fight for second place in the game live streaming space–behind Twitch–just got a whole lot more interesting. In fact, Facebook has managed to overtake YouTube in both viewers- and streamer-hours as of last quarter.
From July to September 2021, StreamLabs reports that Facebook Gaming accounted for 17.1 million hours streamed, which is more than double what YouTube Gaming Live managed during the same period. On the viewership side, it was closer, with Facebook Gaming totaling 1.29 billion hours watched compared to YouTube Gaming Live’s 1.13 billion.
Our Q3 2021 Streaming Industry Report is live!
📈 @FacebookGaming passes #YouTubeGaming in hours watched
🎙 “Just Chatting” is most-watched category across all platforms
▶️ YouTube Gaming placing big bets on #streamer acquisition
⬇️ Full report here ⬇️https://t.co/dfIkTgXSyA pic.twitter.com/trZEue5GRG
— Streamlabs (@streamlabs) October 27, 2021
Traditionally, YouTube has been known for pre-recorded content, but it has been getting increasingly competitive with Twitch as it tries to lure popular creators toward its platform. TimTheTatman and DrLupo were both mentioned in the report, and it’s a strategy that Microsoft had tried with Mixer previously. Names like Shroud and Ninja weren’t enough to save Mixer, however, with the service directing users to Facebook Gaming after its closure.
One of Facebook Gaming’s biggest userbases is the international community. Only one of the top 10 channels for watch-hours is primarily English-speaking. The top 10 channels accounted for an entire 4% of all Facebook Gaming watch time; that’s 49 million hours.
