WATCHING people play video games has become a major streaming phenomenon. And while Twitch specialises in this domain and is likely the best-known platform for this type of content, it's YouTube that young Americans are turning to most for such videos.
YouTube has won favour among the young generations. According to the "Precise Advertiser Report: Teens & Youth" study, carried out by PreciseTV/Giraffe Insights among 1,000 people aged between 13 and 17, between March and April 2023, 76% of respondents said they chose YouTube to watch other people play video games. This number puts the streaming video platform well ahead of Twitch, in third place with 34% of respondents tuning in for that reason. Facebook came second with 40% of votes.
YouTube has always been the platform of choice for young people, due in particular to the wide variety of content available. In the same study, when asked how they had "consumed content," "watched YouTube" topped the list of activities at 82%, ahead of "used Facebook" at 66%, "watched TikTok" at 65% and "played video games" at 64%.
In fact, the YouTube application appears to be the preferred social network among the 13 to 17-year-olds surveyed at 27%, compared with 21% for TikTok, 20% for Facebook, 18% for Instagram and just 6% for Snapchat.
A lucrative market
The report highlights that 9 out of 10 teenagers play video games at least once a week, and 8 out of 10 play online. What's more, 46% of respondents say they have gone to YouTube to look for information on new video games, compared with 39% who turn to their friends and 20% to TV ads.
And this is certainly a market that brands are interested in. In fact, the study also shows that 31% of those surveyed recall having last seen a video game ad on YouTube, compared with 17% on TikTok, and 16% on TV. Two-thirds of teenagers would be more likely to remember ads if they were playing video games at the same time, the study found.
Not to be ignored is the fact that 37% of young people say they spend most of their pocket money on video games. This is the category that generates the most spending, ahead of food (36%) and clothes (26%). This percentage rises to 40% among boys and 34% among girls. – ETX Daily Up, August 30, 2023
