Facebook Gaming has seen massive growth since being launched in 2018, establishing itself as one of the top platforms for live streaming and gaming content. With over 700 million people playing games, using gaming groups, or watching gaming video each month on Facebook, it is clear that Facebook Gaming has tapped into a hugely engaged audience.
But how successful has Facebook Gaming been in challenging the dominance of established players like Twitch and YouTube Gaming? And does its success represent a long-term shift in the gaming content landscape? Here we analyze the key stats and figures around Facebook Gaming to understand its current standing and future potential.
User and Viewership Growth
The most important metric for gauging the success of any gaming platform is its total number of users and viewers. On both of these counts, Facebook Gaming has seen phenomenal growth since launching:
- Facebook Gaming had almost 300 million monthly active users as of Q2 2020, up 238% year-over-year.
- Total hours watched on Facebook Gaming grew to over 5 billion in Q2 2020, up 6 times year-over-year.
- Average daily watch time per viewer reached over 95 minutes in Q2 2020, up 45% year-over-year.
This exponential growth in users and viewership shows that Facebook Gaming is resonating with audiences and establishing itself as a mainstream destination for gaming content. While established platforms like Twitch still dominate in terms of total viewership hours, Facebook has managed to carve out a substantial share of the market in a relatively short period of time.
Facebook Gaming’s Viewership vs Competitors
To better understand Facebook Gaming’s market position, let’s compare its viewership metrics against key competitors Twitch and YouTube Gaming:
| Platform | Monthly Active Viewers | Total Hours Watched (Q2 2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Twitch | 17.5 million | 5 billion |
| YouTube Gaming | 100 million | 3.5 billion |
| Facebook Gaming | 238 million | 5.3 billion |
This comparison shows that while Twitch still rules in terms of share of viewing hours, Facebook Gaming actually surpasses both competitors in terms of total monthly active viewers. This indicates that Facebook has been very effective in using its massive 2.7 billion user platform to drive discovery and engagement with gaming content.
Facebook’s ability to convert a small fraction of its overall users into engaged gaming viewers demonstrates the inherent advantage it has over standalone platforms like Twitch. If Facebook can maintain this trajectory, it stands a good chance of overtaking Twitch viewership in the long run.
Streamer and Creator Growth
In addition to viewership growth, Facebook Gaming has also seen huge growth in the number of streamers and creators on the platform:
- Facebook Gaming has over 40,000 partnered creators as of 2021, up from just 13,000 in 2019.
- Over half a million Facebook creators earn money from gaming content each month.
- Top Facebook streamers like Disguised Toast and Corinna Kopf attract over 1 million followers each.
This influx of creators has strengthened the quality and variety of content available on Facebook Gaming. Established personalities from other platforms like Twitch and YouTube have migrated over to take advantage of Facebook’s discoverability. The platform has also cultivated its own homegrown creators, with multiple streamers graduating into the 1 million follower club.
Facebook’s ability to attract creators is crucial for the platform’s continued expansion, as creators are the engine that drives user growth and engagement. If Facebook can maintain its current momentum in onboarding top talent, it will cement its position as a top destination for both viewers and streamers.
Top 10 Facebook Gaming Creators by Followers
| Creator | Followers |
|---|---|
| Disguised Toast | 1.6 million |
| Corinna Kopf | 1.3 million |
| StoneMountain64 | 1.2 million |
| TheFearRaiser | 1.1 million |
| ItsFunneh | 900,000 |
| Pokimane | 800,000 |
| Veronica | 700,000 |
| Juansguarnizo | 700,000 |
| Alexby11 | 600,000 |
| Lele Pons | 600,000 |
Revenue and Monetization
Monetization is a key factor underpinning the long-term viability of any gaming platform. Here again Facebook Gaming has shown strong momentum:
- Fan subscriptions and stars (virtual goods) make up the core monetization model, similar to Twitch’s bits.
- Facebook takes no revenue share from creators until 2023, a big incentive for creators.
- Some top Facebook streamers make up to $30,000 per month from stars and subscriptions.
- Facebook is also testing gaming-focused ads to further boost monetization.
Facebook’s slow and steady monetization ramp up seems to be working well, providing enough incentives for creators to thrive, while also building sustainable revenue streams. While monetization per viewer still lags behind Twitch, as the platform matures this gap is likely to close.
Importantly, Facebook’s ad-based model gives it a second distinct revenue stream. If Facebook can introduce gaming ads that complement rather than detract from user experience, it could end up generating higher revenues per viewer than ad-free platforms like Twitch.
Monthly Earnings of Top Facebook Gaming Streamers
| Streamer | Estimated Monthly Earnings |
|---|---|
| Disguised Toast | $25,000 |
| Corinna Kopf | $20,000 |
| StoneMountain64 | $15,000 |
| TheFearRaiser | $12,000 |
| ItsFunneh | $10,000 |
Conclusion
Looking at the key metrics around users, viewership, creators and monetization, it is evident that Facebook Gaming is establishing itself as a formidable force in the gaming content landscape.
Its ability to leverage Facebook’s massive user base to drive discovery has allowed it to bootstrap growth at an unprecedented pace. While it still lags behind Twitch in some aspects, at its current trajectory it looks well placed to potentially overtake Twitch in the long run.
Of course, sustaining this growth will have its challenges. As the platform matures, its user gains may start to plateau. Twitch and YouTube will also keep innovating to stay ahead. Additionally, concerns around toxicity and governance will need to be managed.
But given Facebook’s track record of execution, massive resources, and focus on the space, there is little doubt that Facebook Gaming has cemented itself as one of the leaders in gaming content. It has rapidly emerged from the shadows to become a dominant force that can no longer be ignored by competitors.