Players spend more time watching game content on YouTube & Twitch than playing: Report

Video game enthusiasts are spending less time actually playing and more time watching game-related content on sites like YouTube and Twitch, according to a new report.

Gaming content has become more prevalent than ever thanks to easily-accessible streaming and video content, and it turns out that more people are consuming videos about games than playing them.

As reported by Games Industry, a new report from Midia Research found that players typically only spend 7.4 hours a week picking up a controller.

However, those same users will spend over an hour more each week, 8.5 hours, watching gaming-related videos.

Furthermore, the report found that 24% of console/PC players and 48% of players who buy in-game content watch game-related videos at least monthly.

Game studios urged to implement in-game videos

Midia Research says that game publishers should see creators as more than just free advertising. They argue that these publishers and distributors should create their own game content platforms to compete with Twitch and YouTube.

“The opportunity is all about publishers capturing video-related consumer engagement, generating new engagement, and – most importantly – unlocking new revenue streams in a stagnant games market,” they explained.

They argue that putting video content inside of games themselves will “unlocking new revenue streams” and that not doing so is leaving revenue on the table.

“It’s time for game publishers to think about in-game video as something beyond marketing alone,” Midia Research Games analyst Rhys Elliott explained. “By reclaiming video engagement, publishers have the potential to unlock new revenue streams, like advertising, and drive growth.”

This report comes as Twitch and YouTube reign supreme in the streaming and video spaces. For instance, in November alone, players spent millions of hours watching League of Legends esports with Worlds 2024 being the most viewed esports event ever, peaking at just under 7 million viewers.