The Rise of Streaming, in the Gaming Industry: Opportunities, and Challenges

By: The BitMar Team.



The gaming industry has had a significant rise, in the popularity of streaming, in recent years. With platforms – like: Twitch, and YouTube Gaming – gamers can now watch, and interact with others, while playing their favorite games. According to a report – by Streamlabs, and Newzoo – Twitch, alone, had over 140 million unique viewers, in 2020. Its viewers watched over 1 trillion minutes of content, on the platform.

Marketing, and promotions, are two areas of major opportunities, for the gaming industry. Streaming allows game developers, and publishers, to showcase their games to a wider audience, and build hype leading up to a release. This can lead to increased sales, and revenue, for the gaming industry. According to a report, by SuperData, streaming platforms were responsible for $9.3 billion, in gaming revenue, in 2020.

Streaming also presents new revenue streams for gamers. Esports players, and popular streamers, can earn money through sponsorships, donations, and advertising, on their channels. In fact, Twitch's top streamer – Ninja – reportedly made over $10 million, from streaming, in 2018.

Streaming also has the potential to democratize access to gaming content. Before streaming, access to gaming content was often limited to those who could afford to buy games, and the necessary hardware. With streaming, viewers can watch and learn from others playing games, and – often – for free. This has the potential to increase gaming interest, and engagement, among people who would not have otherwise had access to it.

However, streaming in the gaming industry also presents challenges. Copyright, and licensing, are major issues. Streaming copyrighted material, without permission, can lead to legal issues. This is a complex issue with which the gaming industry is still grappling.

Another challenge, is: ensuring the safety and well-being of streamers, and viewers. With the rise in popularity of streaming, there has also been an increase in harassment, and other negative behavior, on these platforms. Streamers, and platform owners, need to work together to ensure a safe and welcoming environment, for all users.

In conclusion, the rise of streaming in the gaming industry presents both: opportunities, and challenges. The popularity of platforms – like: Twitch, and YouTube Gaming – has opened up new marketing, and revenue streams, for: game developers, esports players, and streamers. Streaming also has the potential to democratize access to gaming content. However, the industry needs to address copyright, and licensing issues, and ensure the safety and well-being of users on these platforms.

If on-demand streaming is more of your choice... next-generation streaming platforms – like: BitMar – may provide you the most affordable form of on-demand streaming entertainment. BitMar provides all-in-one streaming service, for life, for a one-time payment, of: $99.99 USD. It can connect you to millions of on-demand movies, TV shows, channels, videos, and songs (from many different sources on the Web), on the screens that you already own. In fact, BitMar provides access to more movies, and TV shows, than: Cable, Satellite, Netflix, Disney Plus, Max/HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Peacock, and Hulu – combined – and more songs, than: Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Prime Music, and Apple Music—combined. You may learn more, at: BitMar.com.