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Twitch expands sponsorship opportunities: While the change might attract creators, whether brands will buy in is debatable.

While many users sell products via Twitch livestreams, Amazon has yet to position the platform as a rival to other social video commerce sites like TikTok Shop.

With 82.3% of streaming hours, Twitch leads the industry but faces stiff competition from YouTube鈥檚 talent poaching and new platforms.

Even smaller platforms like Twitch have evolved their livestream options, adding features to simplify how creators connect with sponsors. Our take: Livestreaming is a promising growth opportunity鈥攁nd YouTube鈥檚 newest ad format could give it another edge over competitors, convincing advertisers and creators alike that YouTube is the key platform for livestream success.

On Twitch, 44% of users have purchased products recommended by streamers. Gaming remains critical in the lives of younger generations, with Gen Z spending 2.5 hours daily on Roblox. Gen Z and millennials are particularly likely to discover brands through mobile game advertising compared with older generations, and 45% of consumers from these demographics are interested in buying products while gaming.

With its InfoSum integration, advertisers can connect first-party data signals to Amazon Ads, unlocking the ability to build custom audiences and reach them with personalized messages across Prime Video, Fire TV, Twitch, and Amazon鈥檚 third-party inventory. The integration will enable retargeting, audience suppression, and lookalike modeling across Amazon鈥檚 ad inventory.

YouTube trails Twitch for livestreaming content. In Q4 2024, Twitch saw 3.81 billion hours of livestreamed viewing versus 2.27 billion hours for YouTube Gaming, per Streamcharts. Viewership of 鈥渙ther鈥� gaming content is YouTube鈥檚 strength. In June 2024, gameplay content on YouTube reached 6 billion views.

These changes bring WhatsApp closer to platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch, which already offer monetization tools for creators. The privacy imperative: Privacy has always been central to WhatsApp鈥檚 identity, and Meta is working hard to reassure users it won鈥檛 compromise that鈥攅specially as competitors like X attempt to make encrypted messaging a selling point.

Short-form video (e.g., YouTube and Twitch) and ad-supported video-on-demand (e.g., Netflix, Hulu) are gaining ground even as total video spend dips due to linear declines. Our take: Advertisers are not just rethinking how they spend, but also where.

To reach diverse gaming audiences, brands need to understand not just the games but also the key platforms that host gaming-related content, including Twitch, Discord, and YouTube. Brands look to Gen X as the new Gen Z. While discussions of consumer marketing at SXSW have typically emphasized youth culture, this year鈥檚 conference featured a number of sessions on consumers in the 鈥渟ilver economy.鈥�

Twitch, a platform dedicated primarily to gaming livestreams, is also popular in gaming spaces. However, it lacks the interactive component that has made Discord a leader in collaborative play. Millennials are enthusiastic gamers into adulthood. Millennials are the most likely to play on the latest consoles, according to a July 2024 survey by Collage Group.

The mid-seven figure ad is currently running in the US across Amazon Prime, Disney, Hulu, Tubi, and Twitch, with plans to expand to Korea, Europe, and Japan in the coming days. Each market will have a localized version of the ad. The commercial marks the beginning of a yearlong partnership with Perplexity and management company Artist United, of which Jung-jae is the largest shareholder.

It excludes YouTube and Twitch, cash transactions, travel and event tickets, tips, subscriptions, payments such as bill pay, taxes or money transfers, food services and drinking place sales, gambling, and other vice goods sales.

And Amazon has proven it can nurture niche, engaged communities before鈥攚ith acquisitions like Twitch and Goodreads, both of which continue to thrive within their ecosystems. This was originally featured in the Retail Daily newsletter. For more retail insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.

Trendspotting: YouTube鈥檚 move to curb online gambling content is also in line with industry pivots鈥�Twitch restricted gambling streams in 2023鈥攁nd broader trends in content moderation, brand safety, and responsible advertising. US media agency professionals executing YouTube campaigns rated brand safety a top objective, per Pixability.

The total includes separately branded Twitch and Freevee streaming services. Disney also surpasses 10% when its separate brands鈥擧ulu, ESPN, and Disney+鈥攁re combined. Hulu and Disney+ together will capture 10.8% of CTV ad sales in 2026. We do not have an estimate for ESPN ad revenues. OTT companies do earn ad dollars outside of CTV.

The remainder of Amazon鈥檚 CTV revenues comes from its Fire OS and Twitch.). By 2027, Amazon will hold a significantly larger share of the market than Roku. In that year, Roku鈥檚 share of CTV ad spending (9.0%) will be closer to Prime Video鈥檚 share (7.7%) than to Amazon鈥檚 total share (11.8%). Most streaming services align on their time spent and ad revenue shares. The streaming market is crowded.

This could look like hosting branded Discord communities tied to popular video game fan bases, or sponsoring Twitch streamers with Gen Z audiences who integrate the product into live gameplay, or even collaborating with open-world games (such as Roblox) to launch a branded in-game scavenger hunt. Monitor VR trends for collaborative opportunities.

Social media creator revenues: Revenues generated by US-based creators on social media; excludes revenues generated on traditional media properties; includes video platforms with primarily user-generated content (e.g., Twitch, YouTube). Creators are breaking into podcasting more than ever before. US creator podcast revenues will approach $1 billion this year, per our forecast.

Twitch, a platform dedicated primarily to gaming livestreams, is also popular in gaming spaces. However, it lacks the interactive component that has made Discord a leader in collaborative play. Read the full report, US Gamers by Generation 2025.

Our influencer marketing spending forecast includes only payments made directly by brands to US-based creators or their representatives to promote products on social media and video platforms that primarily host user-generated content (e.g., YouTube, Twitch). It excludes paid ads on social platforms and other channels.

Beauty is bypassing traditional ads, opting for a Super Bowl livestream across TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and YouTube, offering giveaways and interactive elements to keep fans engaged throughout the game. Retailers are integrating shopping features. E.l.f. is sponsoring Tubi鈥檚 new Red Carpet Shop, enabling viewers to shop directly on the platform while watching the Super Bowl for free.

Influencer marketing spending: Refers to revenues generated by US-based creators or influencers via payments received from brands to promote products and services on social media; excludes noncash payments such as free products or trips; excludes branded content amplified as paid media; includes video platforms with primarily user-generated content (e.g., Twitch, YouTube).

Our Amazon CTV forecast includes ads sold for Prime Video, Freevee, Fire TV, and Twitch that are viewed on TV sets. Because we do not break out Prime Video individually, Amazon is not included in the graphic above. Likewise, Roku is not in the graphic because we do not break out The Roku Channel in our forecast. The graphic also includes gross ad revenues for YouTube, rather than net ad revenues.