Total US Twitch users (viewers) in 2021

By 2021, we expect there will be 31.4 million Twitch users in the US, making up9.4% of the population. There will be gradual user growth year over year (YoY), and by 2025, we estimate there will be 36.7 million US Twitch users. 

Following a year of significant user adoption amid the pandemic, Twitch is expected to see continued growth over the next four years. While it doesn’t quite mirror Twitch’s significant spike in 2020, when we saw an increase of 27.3% growth in users—or the 11.8% increase we saw in 2021—the streaming platform’s user base will increase 6% in 2022 from a year prior.

Twitch’s  business model includes subscriptions, video ads, merchandise, and the proprietary digital currency Bits. Video is a driving force for Twitch, and all parts of its business rely on the company’s competitiveness in the global streaming market. In fact, the company recently reported a 20% jump in viewing time YoY in September 2021. 

The gaming space is also growing in all directions, which is bolstering the rise of users on Twitch. Esports remains a growing industry—the share of US gamers is expanding, livestreaming is gaining more traction, and viewership of gaming video content (GVC)—although more modest than figures from 2020—is climbing. What’s more, the advent of legalized sports gambling in the US represents another potential revenue stream for Twitch, as users can bet on esports and game streams.

Each of these key pieces, including the fact that Amazon, Twitch’s parent company, has made significant moves into sports licensing, is positioning Twitch to become a major player in the video gaming space. In fact, we forecast that by 2025, 13.7% of US digital video viewers will have watched video content on Twitch via any device at least once a month.