Twitch streaming: Why people love watching others play games

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Every day, millions of people watch other people play games online. The world-leading streaming platform Twitch hosts a vast amount of streamers and viewers. The live streams range from relaxed chats with the audience, to artists creating paintings in real time, and both casual and professional streamers playing video games and online casinos. It seems as if the trend of streaming will continue to bloom – but what makes so many people want to watch someone else through a webcam shot?

Watching casino and game streams for entertainment

There is no simple answer to why streaming is so immensely popular. Several aspects all play a part, depending on who is watching. A large part of the Twitch audience watches their favourite streamers for the same reason as people watch an exciting or funny tv-series or live sports. It provides entertainment.

Many people find it exciting to watch popular Twitch casino streamers gamble, and the audience is growing bigger for this streaming genre. Video slots and poker are two of the most watched casino games. Apart from the entertainment value, watching others play can be useful in order to improve knowledge and learn strategies. This brings us to the next reason behind the global streaming success.

Learning from watching live streams

On Twitch you can find many of the most skilled players in the world when it comes to video games and casino games. These professionals tend to be among the most watched streamers on the platform, sometimes with hundreds of thousands of viewers at the same time. When trying to learn new skills about a game, watching someone else can be incredibly helpful.

Some streamers actively give tips while playing, and answer questions that viewers send in the chat. While not all active e-sports professionals have the time to stream, you can find former professionals streaming, and many new talents that are on the rise.

The community and social aspect

Sitting at home alone in front of your computer isn’t always the most fulfilling. When feeling bored or lonely, tuning into a stream and watching a well-known face interact with the viewers can be a great comfort. The viewers can bond and make jokes in the chat, and streamers with a slightly smaller audience can speak directly to their viewers whom they often recognise by their Twitch username.

Being part of such a community, whether it’s small or large, can be a fun and social experience. On the 11th of January 2021, the Spanish gamer David “TheGrefg” Cánovas Martinez had nearly 2,5 million people watching his stream at the same time! He thereby broke the record for most concurrent Twitch stream viewers.

Checking out new games

When looking for something new to play, watching it in live action can help you decide what to choose. Just reading about a game is sometimes not enough to know whether it’s something that’s worth investing your money and time in. Streamers know that the demand for watching newly released games is big, so chances are you will find a stream to watch.