Twitch is the best way to watch sports, when you can actually watch sports on Twitch

20.10.2023 - 18:03 / polygon.com / Best / You Can

Need a new way to watch sports? Twitch might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

It’s no secret that fans have historically consumed sports through live events and cable TV, but as media consumption has shifted, many — especially in younger generations — have sought out sports content on social platforms.

Twitch in particular has become a platform where sports streamers and fans have flocked. During the COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020, athletes and sports leagues around the world joined the platform to stream video games when live sports were temporarily on hiatus — and years later, some of them are still active. WNBA player Aerial Powers regularly streams herself playing games like NBA 2K and Apex Legends, while Argentinian former soccer player Sergio Agüero uses his channel to livestream Kings League and Queens League games. Organizations like the NBA, the NFL, and the UFC have their own Twitch channels where they promote and share content. For instance, the UFC runs watch-along streams hosted by former mixed martial artist, boxer, and kickboxer Jens Pulver.

In recent years, Twitch has introduced a TwitchSports channel as well as a stand-alone sports category to help users find live sporting events and sports-related content. On the stand-alone sports category page — which, as of publication, has 2.7 million followers — users can find creators commentating and analyzing various sports, reaction and watch-along streams, some live sports feeds, and streams of creators playing sports video games. Take a look and you’ll see everything from motorsports and soccer to tennis, volleyball, and even pickleball.

EnterpriseAppsToday reported that in 2023, Twitch’s “Sports” category registered around 8 million hours of watch time. YPulse survey research from April found that 66% of Gen Zers are tuning into platforms like Twitch to follow their favorite sports. “In contrast to the more spectator-oriented sports watching of earlier generations, Gen Z has evolved the experience into an interactive digital experience through social and streaming platforms,” says Anastasia Pelot, YPulse’s content marketing manager.

While livestreams of major league games are less common to find on Twitch due to broadcast rights, some leagues — nationally and globally — have experimented with streaming games in recent years. The NBA signed a deal with Twitch in 2017 to stream minor league games while giving fans the chance to interact with each other. The two also teamed up in 2019 for a separate deal to exclusively stream USA Basketball games globally. When Amazon began airing Thursday Night Football games last fall, Nielsen reported a total viewership figure of 13 million for its first exclusive game, which included U.S. Prime