Gaming video content (GVC) is an increasingly popular type of content consumed online. It includes videos such as playthroughs, how-tos, walkthroughs, news and esports.
Video content for gamers is bigger than you think when it comes to online consumption of video media. Here’s a list of facts your brand should know about this type of content:
#1: Gaming video content has a global audience of 665 million viewers
According to SuperData, this figure is larger than the combined subscriber numbers of HBO, Netflix, ESPN and Hulu.
#2: Twitch has 100 million monthly active viewers globally who spend 106 minutes a day watching streams
Twitch is steadily growing as the major livestreaming platform for both creators and viewers. Streamers frequently work with brands to support their own content creation and in return, brands get exposure through stream overlays.
#3: In 2016, 40 million hours of gaming unboxing content was watched on YouTube mobile globally
Unboxing content is essential viewing for consumers interested in purchasing products. It’s one type of product research that people do before making purchase decisions. This figure also highlights the growing popularity of viewership over mobile.
#4: 48% of YouTube gamers spend more time watching gaming content globally than playing games
Gamers watch gaming content not just to be entertained but to learn as well. This includes watching playthroughs to preview a game before buying, watching a walkthrough as a way to get through the more difficult parts of a game and so on.
#5: Viewership time of esports has grown by over 90% on YouTube globally
Competitive esports is another popular gaming content type. Viewership of esports has been compared to the popularity of traditional sports and its dedicated following.
#6: Gaming video content is expected to earn US$4.6 billion globally in 2017
This includes advertising and direct consumer spending. The chart below shows gaming video content revenue over time according to SuperData:
#7: 75% of Twitch users are male and 73% of users are aged 18-49 globally
Just looking at Twitch’s audience profile, brands should note that Twitch users make up a demographic whose attention is in high demand.
#8: The global esports audience is expected to grow to 589 million viewers by 2020
Returning to esports, not only is viewership of it increasing but the size of the audience is expected to grow dramatically over the next 3 years.
#9: 2 out of 5 of the most popular channels on YouTube globally contain gaming content
Some of the most successful YouTube creators are ones that focus on gaming with the most popular of them all being PewDiePie who at the time of writing, had 57,462,424 subscribers.
#10: Over the last 12 months, Minecraft was the 5th most popular search term on YouTube globally
With Minecraft’s popularity across all demographics and ages (especially children), it’s no wonder that it is the most popular gaming search term on YouTube.
As brands seek to connect with their customers and potential customers, gaming content is one area with huge potential for boosting brand awareness whether or not your brand is based in the gaming industry.
Want to know more about how your brand can use video content to better connect with your customers? Contact us.
Sources
- https://www.superdataresearch.com/market-data/gaming-video-content/
- http://twitchadvertising.tv/audience/
- https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/statistics-youtube-gaming-content/
- https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/advertising-channels/video/video-game-culture-youtube-trends/
- https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/esports-revenues-will-reach-696-million-in-2017/
- https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?gprop=youtube
