TikTok Live has steamrolled past Twitch to become the second most-watched platform in 2025 and there are some key reasons why.
So far in Q1 2025, YouTube Live is the king of the streaming space with nearly 15 billion hours watched, while Twitch trails in a distant third at 4.847 billion, the vast majority of which comes from gaming streams.
In the middle, however, is TikTok. The short-form video app has seen significant growth so far in 2025 with its Live content. This year, it’s shot up by 30% to the tune of 8.027B hours watched.
While its gaming streams have helped, with titles such as MLBB and Garena Free Fire doing the heavy lifting, its IRL content has paid dividends.
We spoke to StreamsCharts’ Product Manager Nazar Babenko about TikTok’s rise, what this means for its rivals, and if it can keep up this momentum.
TikTok’s winning formula pushes it past Twitch
According to Babenko, by being geared towards mobile, TikTok has a major advantage over its competitors.
“The mobile-centric nature of TikTok is a major factor in its rise. The platform is built for mobile-first interaction, making live streaming incredibly accessible — both for viewers and creators. Anyone can go live instantly, lowering the barrier to entry,” he explained.
When compared to Twitch or YouTube, creating a stream people want to watch can prove to be challenging, but TikTok has another thing going in its favor: its algorithm.
“This ease of content creation, coupled with TikTok’s algorithmic discovery system, significantly boosts live viewership and engagement, especially among casual and first-time streamers.”
The threat of a TikTok ban in the United States was also a hot topic at the beginning of the year when the app’s future was in serious jeopardy.
Babenko believes that heightened media attention surrounding the possible ban also contributed to this 30% rise by encouraging users to engage with the platform while they can, but it’s not the only reason for its success.
“TikTok’s content strategy — especially the rise in non-gaming streams — has been a key driver. Popular games among younger U.S. audiences (e.g., Roblox, Minecraft) also helped anchor its gaming presence,” he added.
Plus, the app saw a 40% growth in its Chats and Outdoors categories, which significantly helped push it to the 8B hours watched milestone.
Twitch urged to diversify or be left in the dust
Although IRL content on Twitch remains incredibly popular, YouTube and TikTok generate significantly more viewership through non-gaming broadcasts.
This, along with more emphasis on mobile (and offering a better mobile UX) is something Twitch must change if it wants to catch up with the other platforms.
TwitchTwitch’s mobile UX lacks behind TikTok and YouTube.
“[Twitch needs to] innovate in creator tools and monetization options to prevent talent migration to Kick, TikTok, or YouTube,” Babenko said, adding that the Amazon-owned site should look to “expand localization in emerging markets, especially Southeast Asia and Latin America, where mobile-first viewing is surging.”
As for TikTok catching YouTube, that just doesn’t seem possible given YouTube’s robust offerings of long-form video content, stronger monetization tools, sports offerings, and its global brand presence. But, don’t give up all hope, because TikTok still has room for growth and has the youth on its side.
“If TikTok continues 30% quarterly growth and expands its creator tools and monetization, it can narrow the gap — particularly among younger audiences.”
We still have quite a few months left in 2025, and if Q1 saw a 30% increase in TikTok viewership, we could be looking at a radically different streaming world when the year wraps up.
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.