Top 10 most-watched Twitch streamers of 2023: xQc loses top spot for first time in years
Twitch: xQc / Kai Cenat / IbaiFor the first time in three years, Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel is not the most-watched streamer on Twitch, as new streamers rise up to the top of the pile. These are the most-watched Twitch streamers in 2023.
Since 2020, xQc has been by far the most-watched streamer in terms of total watch time, taking the crown from Tfue who was top in 2019.
However, watch time is also tied to the total amount of time that a channel is live, and with xQc’s hours streamed dropping by over 1,000, this has cut into his watch time.
As a result, Kai Cenat has usurped him, clocking in at 115 million hours watched. However, this is over 100 million hours less than xQc had last year, when he was top for 2022.
Check out the full list of most-watched streamers on Twitch this year below, and how many hours they streamed to get there.
Most-watched Twitch streamers (2023)
| Rank | Streamer | Hours watched (2023) | Hours streamed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kai Cenat | 115 million | 1,856 |
| 2 | Gaules | 110 million | 8,682 |
| 3 | Ibai | 104 million | 1,373 |
| 4 | xQc | 97 million | 1,898 |
| 5 | fps_shaka | 82 million | 3,547 |
| 6 | kingsleague | 80 million | 608 |
| 7 | tarik | 73 million | 2,376 |
| 8 | HasanAbi | 66 million | 2,552 |
| 9 | eliasn97 | 64 million | 2,680 |
| 10 | IlloJuan | 63 million | 1,652 |
Stats via SullyGnome as of December 28, 2023.
Who is the most popular Twitch streamer?
Hours watched is only one metric to measure a streamer’s popularity of course. Other factors such as average viewers, followers gained, and most subscribers are also important.
The streamer with the highest average viewers in 2023 was Ibai with 76,313 (not including esports channels like Dota 2 and Kings League).
The streamer who gained the most followers this year was also Kai Cenat, with 4.9 million new fans following his channel in 2023, taking his total to 8.4 million.
In terms of total subscribers, Kai Cenat set a new record during his subathon back in March, peaking at 306,621. However, as of right now, the streamer with the most subscribers is Jynxzi, with just over 100,000.
Of course, part of the reason that xQc is no longer the most-watched streamer this year, is due to his streams on Kick. His deal with the rival streaming platform has meant his total hours watched on Twitch were bound to go down.
For now, though, Kai Cenat has the top spot, and he’ll be looking to keep a hold of it in 2024.