In the world of eSports, Twitch reigns supreme as the streaming platform of choice. The platform's position in the Global Internet Phenomena Report has grown steadily over the past few years — this year, it is 19th overall (at 1.27%) of overall downstream volume and 28th (at 0.47% of the upstream). It is the 7th most popular video streaming application on the internet!
Gaming is growing in consumption worldwide, with both Playstation and Xbox download traffic in the top 15. Game delivery is increasingly digital rather than through the purchase of discs, and the size of games (not to mention the frequency of updates and expansion packs) is escalating usage. As users invest in gaming systems, get hooked on games, and begin to have visions of gaming for a living, they are looking for a way to generate interest and sponsorships, and Twitch is their ticket to ride.
The popularity of Twitch has grown in concert with the rise of eSports, and the purchase of Twitch looks like a great buy for Amazon. New competitors in this space are popping up and will likely continue to launch until the market is saturated and settles down. Microsoft recently signed eSports star Ninja, a major Twitch attraction, to their Mixer service to raise its profile. Other prominent names in the space include Caffeine and YouTube Gaming, all who are seeking to attract the attention of eSports stars through exclusive deals in the same way that athletes are pursued by athletic shoes and clothing lines. eSports stars get laptop and mouse endorsements instead!
As shown in Friday's blog, Amazon is one of the biggest brands on the internet, as is Microsoft and YouTube, and the gaming market is one that will be hotly contested. Gaming is such a hot topic, and with the launch of Google Stadia on the horizon, I have been considering a full Phenomena report just on gaming. Interested? Let me know at phenomena@sandvine.com
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