Livestreaming's next act goes far beyond gaming
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Online livestreaming is shifting from a hub of gaming-centric content to a critical part of media strategy for entertainers, athletes and even politicians.
The big picture: There are over 21 million active streamers on Twitch, with a nearly 20% increase YoY in athlete and celebrity streams.
Last year, the industry saw audiences flock to their favorite platform to stream in-person events from Coachella to boxing matches.
- The final show of Bad Bunny's Puerto Rico residency was the No. 1 music stream of the year on Amazon Music and Twitch.
State of play: Twitch CEO Dan Clancy and Ethan Wright, director of Kick, told Axios which trends they expect to see in 2026.
What is on the horizon in 2026?
Clancy: More and more people realizing that livestreaming is a critical part of how they think about their presence, whether they're an entertainer, an athlete or an influencer.
- That's because as more people experience it, they understand the magic of livestreaming and this authentic engagement with your fans, and turning those fans into a community.
Wright: Successful platforms will be those that empower creators to monetize in diversified ways. I think platforms that balance freedom and safety are really going to build some trust in the sector.
What should streamers be doing in order to grow?
Clancy: Well, first of all, do something you enjoy. It's ultimately about connecting with people in chat, the magic for the viewer is that what happens on the stream depends in part on what's happening in chat and that you're part of the creation, not just a spectator.
- Livestreaming is all about exposing yourself and being authentic with your community and strengthening that connection.
Wright: Creators should be diversifying their audiences — they should be trying every type of activity they can to get themselves traction.
One thing that we can anticipate is Grand Theft Auto VI (hopefully) releasing this year. Do you have any thoughts about what content the game is going to bring?
Wright: GTA VI is going to be monumental.
- It will revive a lot of the population who is probably more of a casual gamer, but all of the hardcore fans that you see now and we come to love and enjoy watching on platforms, they're absolutely going to be building communities pretty quickly.
What will livestreaming look like 10 years from now?
Clancy: "People have device fatigue ... And as the world and tech continue to evolve, my gut is that the need to connect with others in a real way and in real time, will only increase."
Wright: "The future is human-generated content."
- "As AI saturates platforms, livestreaming is one of the hardest formats to replicate. In an increasingly synthetic internet, communities will form around content created live."
