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StreamElements have put out a new report that shows growth of streaming viewership year over year from April 2019 to April 2020. Overall industry growth was up 99%. The report also breaks down growth by individual platforms. Twitch saw a 98% increase in viewership. YouTube Gaming was up 65%. Facebook Gaming skyrocketed 238%. Mixer was the only platform without a significant surge in viewership, its growth only being 0.2%. It is important to keep in mind the raw numbers as well as the percent increase in viewership —Twitch still dwarfs all competition in this respect.
Consumers in the United States spent nearly $10.9 billion on video games in Q1 of 2020, up 9% year-over-year, and a record quarterly high. Video game content made up most of this total, reaching $9.58 billion in total spend, up 11% year-over-year. Digital console and PC content, mobile and subscription spending, hardware, and accessories spending were all up year-over-year. Rebekah Valentine at gamesindustry.biz has the full story.
A seismic shift may be coming in Rocket League esports. A letter sent to the RLCS, signed by 13 teams, addresses a list of grievances regarding the handling and administrative practices surrounding the RLCS. According to the letter, teams are voicing their concerns about what they view as a lack of communication between the league and themselves, conditions surrounding slot ownership, prize money distribution, and monetization of the league for the publisher and teams. Kevin Hitt at The Esports Observer has the full story.