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Can Twitch Become YouTube Before YouTube Becomes Twitch?

Nobody in Hollywood seems to have an answer for YouTube’s dominance in streaming video, but executives definitely don’t know what to make of Amazon’s Twitch, the world’s most popular livestreaming platform. But for all its success, why does it still live in YouTube’s shadow?

tyler ninja blevins
There’s no question that Twitch is a success story: There are the gaming streamers—the bread and butter of Twitch’s business—like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, newly minted global superstars who draw millions of viewers to their streams. Photo: Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Amazon's Crown Channel
Julia Alexander
May 21, 2025

Hollywood tends to ignore paradigm shifts in real time, and then spends years playing catch-up. Look no further than YouTube, which entertainment industry executives are finally taking seriously about a decade too late: Monthly public shaming charts from Nielsen show that YouTube was the only streaming platform to grow its engagement on connected televisions over the past six months. It’s also the most popular streaming platform, measured by total U.S. viewership, even if it doesn’t have the same glamour as Netflix.