A new stream of culture
20 billion reasons why live streaming is taking over the digital stage
“Twitch connects advertisers and marketers with a hard-to-reach, next generation audience.”
Rachel Delphin, CMO, Twitch
Not having a live streaming strategy today to connect with Gen Z is like skipping the social media boom a decade ago. With 20 billion hours of live streamed content consumed on Twitch in 2024 alone, live streaming isn’t just another media channel – it’s the cultural playground where every brand should be right now.
For decades, brands have chased trends to connect with elusive audiences. In the 80s, TV was king, captivating households across the globe. In the 2000s, social media reshaped how we communicate and became the go-to place for marketers to be. Today, a new cultural frontier is taking center stage: live streaming.
When Valkyrae, one of the internet’s most prominent streamers, returned to Twitch after a stint on YouTube, it wasn’t just a career move – it was a testament to the power of Twitch as a service. Valkyrae, with 1.3 million followers, is one of several prominent content creators who’ve made a home on Twitch because of the real-time engagement it enables with their communities.
Cultural phenom Kai Cenat has 16.2 million followers, pulling collaborations with multiple A-List celebrities such as Bill Nye, SZA and Travis Barker in 2024 alone. Meanwhile, Spanish streaming sensation Ibai Llanos boasts 17.2 million. He held the undisputed title of number one on Twitch, breaking sitewide records with his ‘La Velada del Año’ boxing event in Madrid (complete with a surprise appearance from Hollywood star Will Smith) to a packed Santiago Bernabéu Stadium of 85,000 fans, with 3.85 million people watching the event simultaneously.
Smith isn’t the only celebrity to grace a Twitch stream. From Tyla to John Cena, a host of famous faces showed up on Twitch in 2024 – notably, a record breaking 727,000 viewers tuned in to a live stream of Kai Cenat’s sleepover with Kevin Hart and Druski. This was followed by a month-long November ‘Mafiathon’ (a live stream marathon where each new subscription extends the duration of the stream) featuring celebrities from Snoop Dogg to Bill Nye.
This underscores a larger shift happening in the digital content ecosystem, back to long-form content and affirming live streaming’s place in culture. Valkyrae, who returned to Twitch after a stint at another service, she says, was driven by the unmatched community engagement and authenticity that Twitch fosters with a deeply engaged Gen Z and millennial audience, who make up nearly 70% of all viewers.
For brands, it gives them something they have always been craving: authentic, real-time connections outside of the more traditional advertising routes. Live streaming is more than a trend; it’s a cultural shift reshaping how audiences connect, consume, and engage – and a place to play a part in these dynamic conversations to unlock lasting connections.
“Twitch connects advertisers and marketers with a hard-to-reach audience composed largely of millennials and Gen Z adults,” says Rachel Delphin, chief marketing officer at Twitch. “There’s no artifice on Twitch, the action and conversations are unfolding in real-time. That dynamic holds a unique benefit for brands – the testimonials are more authentic, questions get answered, and there’s no edit or any kind of manipulation, which builds greater influence and trust.”
hours of live streamed content a year on Twitch
Beyond gaming
How live streaming is driving a cultural shift
When marketers think of live streaming, they often think gaming, and while gaming remains a cornerstone of the community, the largest category of live streamed content isn’t gaming at all – it’s conversations.
Take the unscripted, interactive moments Twitch categorizes as ‘Just Chatting’ for example, which saw over 6 billion hours of viewership last year. Think of it like a modern talk show, but with relatable, unfiltered hosts who forge genuine connections with their audiences in real-time.
Live streaming is also redefining music, beauty, and lifestyle marketing, with micro-communities that offer brands unique opportunities to tap into a diverse range of interests, in ways traditional media simply can’t replicate. Interactive live workshops and discussion forums, for example, are becoming a popular way for brands to engage and create memorable experiences that complement conventional advertising.
“Non-gaming categories represent an evolution in live streaming,” says Delphin. “And they offer brands access to diverse and passionate communities on Twitch, creating an opportunity to engage consumers not just for thirty or sixty seconds but over a longer time period. It’s a chance to participate and contribute to a community and engage not only their core demographics, but new and related audiences.”
Click below to view the breakdown of top streamed categories on Twitch in 2024:
“Non-gaming categories represent an evolution in live streaming & they offer brands access to diverse and passionate communities.”
Rachel Delphin, CMO, Twitch
20 billion hours of engagement
Why long-form content wins
“The beauty of live streaming is that you can go live from anywhere, anytime... polls and chat add-ons allow creators to directly engage with their audience.”
Rachel Delphin, CMO, Twitch
In a world obsessed with short-form content, what the growth of live streaming proves is that there’s desire for depth. For brands, this is not just about screen time – it’s about shared experiences and attention. From high-impact video and display ads to streamer-driven solutions, advertising on Twitch brings creators, communities, and brands closer together.
Unlike fleeting social posts, viewers often spend hours engaging with their favorite streams. This isn’t passive consumption; it’s active engagement. By creating a two way interaction and connection with audiences, it builds bonds through shared interests. Twitch’s features allow for its audiences to form lasting connections through interactive elements.
By combining live, interactive content with Amazon’s first-party insights, brands can share powerful stories with a leaned-in audience connected by shared passions.
“Twitch’s long-form content allows for deep brand engagement, fostering real-time interaction between creators and viewers,” says Delphin. “The beauty of live streaming is that you can go live from anywhere, anytime, and features on Twitch like polls and chat add-ons allow creators to directly engage with their audience. This creates a stronger sense of belonging and offers brands a valuable opportunity to connect with highly engaged viewers in a fun and native way.”
And there’s a growing trend towards immersive brand activations during live streams; these aren’t just ads, they’re experiences. From treasure hunts to challenges, brands can find innovative ways to embed themselves into the fabric of live streaming culture.
billion
hours watched
million+
hours streamed
million+
new streamers
million+
active streamers
million
monthly visitors
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people tuning in
Source: Twitch, 2024
Ones to watch
Best brand moments on Twitch
Streaming into the spotlight
Bringing digital connections to real life
One of the most striking aspects of live streaming is how it bridges the gap between digital and real-world experiences. TwitchCon, for example, has become a cultural landmark, bridging online interactions with IRL brand activations, meetups and performances, allowing brands to step beyond the screen and create tangible connections with their audiences.
“At TwitchCon, brands have access to an audience that is there to immerse themselves wholly into their experience as well as capture and share it,” says Delphin. “Brands should take full advantage of this by creating immersive, community-driven activations that bridge the digital and real worlds, providing a memorable experience that converts the IRL community into a digital one.”
“Brands have access to an audience that is there to immerse themselves wholly into their experience as well as capture and share it.”
Rachel Delphin, CMO, Twitch
Ones to watch
Most engaging brand moments at TwitchCon
Why every brand needs a live streaming strategy
“Brands must engage authentically and strategically, becoming part of the conversation, not interrupting it.”
Rachel Delphin, CMO, Twitch
Not engaging with live streaming in 2025 is like ignoring social media in 2010 – a missed opportunity to engage next-gen consumers. The recent From Ads to Zeitgeist research from Amazon Ads finds that 70% of Gen Z adults and millennials seek a sense of belonging; and that 65% prefer to discover new products and have new experiences.
Gen Z and millennials don’t just consume content – they co-create it. And they’re open to letting brands in too. The same research finds that 72% say advertising is an important way for brands to communicate their values and 73% appreciate advertising that entertains them.
And when 63% of this audience agree that advertising has the power to shape culture, there’s no better place for brands to lean in and make their mark in culture than through live streaming.
“Live streaming success hinges on community,” says Delphin. “To succeed, brands must engage authentically and strategically, becoming part of the conversation, not interrupting it.”
Live streaming isn’t just another media channel; it’s a cultural movement. Brands that recognize this shift and integrate into the conversation on their audiences’ terms will be the ones who thrive in this new digital era.
of Gen Z adults and millennials seek a sense of belonging
appreciate advertising that entertains them
agree that advertising has the power to shape culture
TwitchCon returns for its 10th year in 2025 to Rotterdam on May 31-June 1 and San Diego on October 17-19. Click here for more on becoming a sponsor or connect with Twitch’s brand partnerships team for custom brand campaigns. For more information and the latest news on Twitch, visit the website here.