Video streaming platforms are always popular with internet users, since their inception.
However, there has recently been an unprecedented surge in popularity of such streaming platforms due to the entry of exciting new players.
Video sharing on the internet was taken to an all-new level by YouTube when it was introduced. Video sharing is a multi-million dollar industry as the founders of YouTube understood long before any of us realized it was possible.
One can share any video even from home on such platforms, and people from all over the globe can view them. Videos can range from sports to fitness, from cooking to art and from music to even video games.
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Live video game streaming is trending upwards
Video games, now, are a massive attraction for youngsters around the world, and the fact that one can play video games professionally has the youth of this generation hooked to gaming.
The old horses of the gaming world, such as Call of Duty and Counter-Strike, are still going strong, while the entry of PUBG and Fortnite has breathed fresh life into the gaming industry, and the surge in popularity of video games isn’t likely to die down anytime soon.
Twitch.tv heralded a new era of live video game streaming, which gave birth, over time, to other similar platforms, chief among which is YouTube Gaming, launched in 2015 to compete with Twitch.
The big five players
This game of cat and mouse that the newer platforms are engaged in with older platforms has led to the evolution of the way video games are watched and shared around the world.
Innovations in this area continue to be made, and here are some of the major players who are continuously redefining rules and changing the way this game is played.
- Ustream rechristened IBM Cloud Video on April 1st, 2017, is another American video broadcasting platform that has been used by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, among others.
- Mixer was an impressive live streaming platform gamers and is giving both Twitch and YouTube a run for their money. It shuttered its doors in July 2020.
- Facebook Gaming(Level Up) is the newest entrant in this arena and is meant to compete with Twitch.
Parent Company
| Platform | Parent Company | Launch Date |
|---|---|---|
 Twitch | Amazon | June 6, 2011 |
 YouTube Gaming | February 14, 2005 | |
 Mixer | Microsoft | January 5, 2016 – July 22, 2020 (RIP) |
 Facebook Gaming | January 26, 2018 | |
 Ustream | IBM | March 1, 2007 |
How do the five platforms stack up against each other?
Now let’s compare these different video streaming platforms to understand what separates them from one another and makes each one of them unique.
The comparison has been made based on several factors such as owner, supported languages, system requirements, type of content being broadcasted, subscription requirements, and fees.
While most of the platforms are free to visit and sign in to, some require paid subscriptions to either the platform or the channels on the platform. Subscription to channels is optional on some of these platforms. User statistics across the various video streaming platforms allowed us to make a comparative study of the different platforms and how traffic flows in each of them.
Some platforms are more popular than others, and the number of average daily visits gives a fair idea of the volume of traffic on these sites. We have also discussed the most followed streamers on each of these platforms, as well as the average active streamers.
Type of Content Streamed
The content-type is not limited to just video games with the exceptions of YouTube Gaming and Level Up, which had been specifically designed by their respective mother platforms, for video game streaming.
Twitch, even though it hosts all sorts of videos, is mostly used for video game streams. Mixer too focuses on live video game streaming, although it identifies itself as a video streaming service.
Ustream’s contents are not restricted to live video games, and the platform features a wide range of live videos from politics to sports, and even live videos from NASA’s ISS (International Space Station). Podcasts are also regularly streamed on these platforms, and game-related discussions draw a considerable number of viewers.
Languages supported
Twitch supports 29 languages, which include more than 10 European languages, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and quite a few Asian languages as well.
YouTube supports a vast number of languages, thanks to Google’s global reach, with nearly 100 languages supported.
IBM leads tops the list in this section with an astounding over 100 languages supported on its platform.
Systems Supported
All standard systems are supported by these platforms, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Android and iOS apps offered by Twitch, IBM, YouTube, and Facebook, allow streamers to stream using their mobile devices or a certified broadcasting device, apart from your PC.
Fees Required
Registration is optional on all of the sites and not required to watch videos. However, registration is needed to upload videos or to stream live content.
Sign in to Mixer by using your Microsoft account for free. If you are a Windows user, then you already have one. Create one by heading over to outlook.live.com if you don’t have one.
Signing in to YouTube and uploading videos is free of cost, as well.
Twitch is also free to sign up and use it. To subscribe to channels on Twitch, you will have to pay $4.99 per month.
IBM Cloud Videos offer a free trial for 30 days with access to advanced broadcasting features. You can stream to at most five concurrent viewers without ads. To reach a larger audience, you need to subscribe to a paid plan. Monthly plans start from $99 and go up to $999 and are divided into three categories, namely Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
To know more about IBM Cloud Videos plans, head over to their “Compare pricing & options” page.
Total visits
| Platform | Total Visits | Referrals Visits | Average Duration (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twitch | 842 million | 1.53% | 6 minutes |
| YouTube Gaming | 25 billion | 1.36% | 21 minutes |
| Mixer | 18 million | 3.66% | 3 minutes (RIP 2020) |
| Facebook Gaming | 22 million | 2.98% | 12 minutes |
| Ustream | 4.14 million | 7.35% | 2 minutes |
Average concurrent views
Twitch boasts of an average of 15 million daily active users, out of which 27,000 are Twitch partners. The average concurrent viewers of Twitch increased from 788k, in the fourth quarter of 2017, to 2.1M in 2020.
YouTube Gaming, has experienced growth with the average concurrent viewers climb from 308k to 692k in Q2 2020.
Most popular streamer or channel
Tfue is the top Twitch streamer, replacing Ninja who left twitch at the top of his game for a multi-million dollar deal with Mixer. Ninja is now a free agent. Tfue brings in an estimated $20M per month.
Mixer set itself apart from the other platforms because of it being integrated into Xbox One.
PewDiePie is the one of the most popular gamers on YouTube, and his subscriber count currently stands at 106 million. He is one of the highest-earning YouTubers with his channel reportedly generating over $12 million each year. This guy plays a lot of games, and you will be spoilt for choice once you visit his channel. He, however, is famous amongst his followers because of his comic take on everyday things and his playthrough of horror-based video games, such as Rise of Nightmares, Silent Hill and Amnesia- the Dark Descent.
Facebook’s Level Up has recently just entered the gaming scene, and the most popular streamer currently is Darkness429. Darkness429 mainly plays Fortnite now but used to divide his time between PUBG, Battleground, and Halo earlier. He also has a Twitch channel by the same name. Data on his monthly income is unavailable, and no estimate could be made.
Ustream is home to a large variety of content, among which live feed from the ISS (International Space Station) seems to draw the most views. The live stream from the ISS is a spectacle to behold and one which you will not want to miss out on. NASA TV is also quite popular among visitors to this platform.
Conclusion
So these are some of the factors separating one platform from another. If you are an occasional gamer or one who plays as a hobby, then any of the above five platforms will work for you.
On the other hand, if you are an avid or professional gamer, then you might want to look into the specific features, which each platform has to offer by visiting their respective websites.
The IBM cloud video platform uses Artificial Intelligence by the name of Watson, to run its sophisticated broadcasting platform. The platform requires you to download their streaming software from their website, which you will have to use to stream videos.
Most streamers prefer OBS or Open Broadcaster Software, a free open source streaming program on Twitch, and YouTube. Twitch is growing the fastest of any of the top streaming gaming venues.