Streaming numbers are down in a post-lockdown world Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Streaming numbers are down in a post-lockdown world But Twitch continues to dominate. News by Ed Nightingale News reporter Published on 5 May 2022 1 comment Streaming numbers are down across the board as the world opens up again post-lockdown. That's according to the latest report from Streamlabs, which states that all platforms have seen a decline in growth in comparison to this time last year. The Covid-19 pandemic is the main cause of both the rise and fall of streaming numbers. With more people working from home and spending less time on outdoor leisure activities, streaming viewership increased; now the world is opening up again, those numbers are declining. Watch on YouTube Despite this, Twitch has seen some growth: from January to March 2022, the number of hours watched has increased by 7.5 percent. That's the first increase since Q2 2021. The number of hours streamed has also increased so far this year, by 12 percent - again, the first increase since Q2 2021. Other streaming platforms - namely YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming - have seen steady decline over the past year in both hours watched and streamed. That's despite some high profile streamer departures from Twitch to YouTube. It's unclear why Twitch numbers have grown over the past quarter, though Streamlabs posits this may be due to Twitch streaming returning to the Xbox dashboard, as well as charity streams to support aid and relief in Ukraine. The increase in streamed hours on Twitch also shows the competition for views as more people see streaming as viable (additional) income and seek to ride the popularity wave from lockdown. Twitch remains the top streaming platform by a huge margin: 76 percent of watched hours and 91.5 percent of streamed hours. The most streamed game is Grand Theft Auto 5, followed by League of Legends. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 8 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store