The Philippines has emerged as one of Southeast Asia's most dynamic livestreaming markets. With its youthful population, strong mobile penetration, and deep gaming culture, the country is increasingly defined by how it consumes and produces live digital content. Whether through massive esports tournaments, YouTube talk shows, or grassroots news coverage, livestreaming has become an essential component of Filipino media life.
Nowadays, livestreaming sites like YouTube have tens of millions of users from the Philippines. This article explores the historical roots of livestreaming culture in the Philippines, the rise of key platforms like YouTube and Twitch, and how the landscape looks in 2025, with particular attention to the booming world of esports and the national obsession with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB).
Roots in Internet Cafés
In the early 2000s, long before most Filipino households had high-speed internet, the foundation of the country’s streaming culture was being laid inside crowded, low-lit internet cafés. These venues were more than just places to check emails or play games; they fostered some of the first communities of the early internet era in the Philippines. Typically located near schools, markets, or residential areas, these shops charged by the hour and were often open well into the night, offering an affordable entry point into the digital world.
According to a survey done by market research company AGB Nielsen Philippines in 2011, almost two-thirds of Filipino teens aged 15-19 identified internet cafés as their main access point to the internet. In fact, roughly half of these respondents also had a computer with internet access at home, but the cultural and social aspects of these cafés are not to be underestimated.
Internet cafés enchanted the Filipino youth during the early 2000s, a cornerstone of their upbringings
What made these cafés unique wasn’t just access to computers; it was the communal atmosphere. Unlike the private experience of home computing, internet cafés encouraged interaction. Gamers would shout commands across the room, swap strategies, and watch over each other’s shoulders. Spectating gameplay became a pastime in itself. It was not uncommon for half a dozen teenagers to gather behind a skilled player, analysing their moves and offering commentary.
Importantly, these shops also allowed for the early discovery of international trends. Filipino youths were among the first in Southeast Asia to explore online games, forums, and early video-sharing sites like YouTube and Justin.tv (which would later become Twitch). Local tournaments were also frequently held in these venues, giving rise to the first generation of Filipino esports players.
This entire ecosystem, affordable access, peer-to-peer learning, and collective viewing, foreshadowed the success of modern livestreaming platforms. It ingrained in Filipino digital culture the idea that watching others play, perform, or explain was just as valuable as doing it yourself.
Growth of Gaming and YouTube in the 2010s
As mobile networks expanded and home broadband became more accessible in the 2010s, Filipino audiences began shifting away from internet cafés and into personal viewing on smartphones, tablets, and PCs. This coincided with the explosive rise of YouTube as the dominant digital video platform in the Philippines. In 2015, the now CEO of Paramount Pictures Brian Robbins was quoted at the MIPTV, an annual television industry conference: “traditional TV viewing for teens and tweens is dead. Not dying. Dead”, and went on to elaborate, “70% of our [YouTube] audience consumes our content on mobile devices. They watch content on their phone, but it isn’t a phone, it’s a media hub”.
Much of this growth was driven by the convergence of three factors: cheap smartphones, generous mobile data packages (often with free access to YouTube), and the growing popularity of local content creators. Filipino YouTubers emerged across many genres, from beauty and comedy to unboxing and gaming. Livestreaming, initially a niche tool, gained momentum when influencers saw the potential of real-time interaction, enabling them to answer questions, hold contests, and read fan comments live. These unscripted, community-driven sessions allowed creators to build deeper connections with their audiences.
Gaming was a key pillar of this boom. The release of mobile-friendly games like Clash of Clans, PUBG Mobile, and most notably Mobile Legends: Bang Bang gave rise to a new wave of streamers who didn’t need expensive PCs or capture cards to go live. Platforms like YouTube quickly adapted, offering mobile streaming features that lowered the technical barrier even further. With strong demand from viewers, creators could grow rapidly.
The 2010s also saw a wave of mainstream crossovers. Celebrities began launching YouTube channels and appearing in livestreams, while influencers made guest appearances on traditional media. These moves blurred the lines between digital and legacy entertainment, validating livestreaming as a credible, influential medium. By the end of the decade, livestreaming had become an essential part of the Filipino content creator’s toolkit and a daily habit for millions of viewers.
News, Entertainment, and Digitalisation
Livestreaming in the Philippines evolved rapidly in the late 2010s and early 2020s. What began as a niche form of entertainment became a default broadcasting mode for both independent creators and legacy institutions. Traditional news networks like ABS-CBN and GMA began simulcasting live news and entertainment programs on YouTube Live. This move was both a response to shifting viewer behaviour (digitalisation) and a strategic way to reach millions of overseas Filipino workers who rely on digital platforms to stay connected.
The livestreaming format also powered a surge in live entertainment at the mainstream level through virtual concerts, fan Q&As, reality shows, and more. Meanwhile, small-scale entrepreneurs leveraged platforms for live selling and product demos, turning streaming into a livelihood.
In 2020, ABS-CBN Philippines made the bold move to offer all its airings for free on YouTube
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns in early 2020 proved to be a watershed moment for livestreaming in the Philippines. With strict stay-at-home orders in effect, the nation's digital reliance intensified dramatically. Traditional media channels found themselves needing to rapidly adapt to reach isolated audiences. This led to a revolutionary shift in the live broadcasting landscape.
Major news networks, in particular, pivoted heavily towards online-forward strategies. ABS-CBN and GMA, among others, intensified their YouTube Live presence, broadcasting news bulletins, talk shows, and public service announcements around the clock. These platforms became primary sources of vital information, surpassing traditional TV for many Filipinos seeking updates on the evolving crisis. Press briefings, government announcements, and even congressional sessions were streamed live, enabling transparency and public engagement in unprecedented ways.
Just this year, ABS-CBN published an article that claimed more than half of all Filipino households watch YouTube on their television. The numbers came directly from Google Southeast Asia Data and Insights chief Nikki del Gallego, who also claimed that almost 90% of all Filipinos watched YouTube in the last four weeks. In their celebratory article for 50M Subscribers on YouTube published last year, the Head of ABS-CBN Digital was quoted:
“Since ABS-CBN’s shift to digital, our viewers have embraced YouTube as a go-to source of ABS-CBN content. We will continue to meet the increasing demand for content online through our offerings on YouTube as we make these accessible to more Kapamilyas in different parts of the world”
Jamie Lopez, Head of ABS-CBN Digital
YouTube, in particular, cemented its status as a standard broadcasting platform during this period. It became the de facto channel for all kinds of content. Religious services moved online, reaching congregations unable to gather in person. Even local government units conducted virtual meetings and town halls via YouTube Live, ensuring community continuity.
The pandemic-induced reliance on livestreaming transformed audience expectations and behaviours. Filipinos grew accustomed to accessing real-time information and entertainment digitally, from anywhere. This acceleration of digital adoption permanently altered the media consumption landscape. The move by major networks to adopt an online-forward presence wasn't a temporary measure, but a fundamental shift towards a hybrid broadcast model, with digital platforms playing an increasingly central role.
Role of esports in the Philippines’ livestreaming scene
For the Philippines and many other countries around the globe, esports broadcasting has played a particularly important role in the development of their wider livestreaming sphere. Gaming sits at the roots of many livestreaming platforms, and for the Philippines, Dota was its game of choice. Long before MLBB in the early 2000s, DotA and Dota 2 were the game of choice for many in the Philippines, perhaps for reasons similar to MLBB’s current success: low barrier to entry and affordable.
Before the modern esports industry really existed, Ronald “Rhom” Robins, a competitive Dota player, founded one of the country’s first esports organizations: Mineski. Founded in 2004, the team quickly became a cornerstone of the Filipino esports industry. In 2008, they launched their first esports cybercafé and expanded to many other countries in Southeast Asia. Later, they even established their own league for the region.
In terms of competitive results, Mineski also represented Asia at The International, Valve’s annual Major Dota tournament, etching its name into Dota history. Although the team unfortunately disbanded in 2019, they were a crucial part of the Filipino local esports scene for well over a decade, and inspired many esports fans to dip their toes into the scene for the first time.
In 2016, Valve hosted a Dota 2 Major in the Philippines with $3,000,000 on the line
While Dota kickstarted esports in the region, it was when MLBB released in 2016 that things really took off. Affordable and optimized for low-spec smartphones, MLBB became a nationwide phenomenon. Not only has the game become massively popular for these reasons, but its local esports scene, the Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) Philippines, frequently draws millions of viewers across platforms. In 2025, the MPL Philippines Season 15 reached a record 1.8 million concurrent viewers.
The growth of MLBB in the Philippines enticed new esports organizations to join the fray and begin competing in the popular mobile MOBA, as well as other games. The most popular post-2016 esports organizations from the Philippines include Bren Esports, now known as AP Bren after a partnership with AP Esports, and Blacklist International; the latter team was founded in 2020 and quickly became a regional powerhouse in MLBB, since then they have also expanded to Dota 2 and other mobile gaming titles.
Some of the top esports players from the Philippines today can boast millions of followers on social media like Facebook, and usually, they leverage this fanbase by making content either for VOD or on livestreaming platforms. For example, Kim “Gabbi” Santos is a Dota 2 esports player who last played for Blacklist International in 2024; now, Gabbi is streaming on Kick and is the most popular gaming streamer of the year so far with over 3.7M Hours Watched.
Speaking of top current streamers, Streams Charts has prepared a look into the current state of the Filipino livestreaming industry. These statistics represent the most-watched streamers and organizations from the Philippines and highlight what content Filipino viewers are consuming.
Filipino livestreaming: Current state of things
As of mid-2025, livestreaming in the Philippines continues to grow across all major platforms. YouTube Live remains the most widely used platform, with tens of millions of active Filipino viewers, mostly watching streams in Tagalog. Major networks and independent creators alike dominate on YouTube, which is accessible to a wide audience through mobile, desktop, and smart TVs.
Twitch has a smaller but passionate user base in the Philippines, oftentimes featuring streamers from the Philippines who stream in English to attract an international audience. While Twitch doesn’t rival YouTube in raw user numbers, it has become an essential space for younger audiences and competitive gamers.
Kick is a relative newcomer but is gaining a foothold among Filipino streamers seeking better monetization. Kick’s revolutionary revenue splits for creators have attracted many Filipino streamers, with the green platform even outperforming Twitch’s Filipino viewership in mid-2025. While still niche, Kick is developing a strong collection of Filipino gaming streamers.
TikTok Live has also been finding major ground in post-COVID times. The livestreaming platform has even been used by esports fans, with the most-watched TikTok events followed by hundreds of thousands of Filipinos.
Viewership behaviour in the Philippines is largely mobile-first, with a huge portion of its gaming viewership focused on mobile gaming titles. Despite global trends toward short-form content, long-form and live content continue to perform exceptionally well in the Philippines, especially when creators engage directly with their audiences.
Top streaming channels from the Philippines
Major news networks such as ABS-CBN Entertainment and the GMA Network dominate Filipino viewership in livestreaming thanks to their round-the-clock broadcasts; ABS-CBN Entertainment stands out in particular with their impressive 206M Hours Watched (HW). In the post-pandemic livestreaming landscape, Filipino audiences rely heavily on YouTube Live, especially for their news and information on world events.
Further down the ranking, we can spy the MPL Philippines channel, the leading esports broadcaster in livestreaming for Filipino gamers. MLBB has a massive following in the Philippines, one of the world’s most passionate mobile gaming audiences, and their viewers consistently tune in to support their regional MLBB Professional League circuit. For the first five months of 2025, this MPL Philippines channel received 8.87M HW.
In terms of the most-watched gaming content from the Philippines, it’s entirely split between MLBB and Dota 2. These two MOBA titles are highly popular in the country, and this is reflected in their dominance of gaming watch time for livestreaming platforms. Esports broadcasters like the MPL Philippines and KuyaNic generated massive watch time through their esports coverage, as well as Jonmar "OhMyV33NUS" Villaluna, a former MLBB player who covers esports matches with a more modern ‘co-caster/watch party’ vibe.
Most-watched categories by Tagalog-language streams
Looking towards the most-watched categories for Tagalog-language broadcasts, the Entertainment category on YouTube Live naturally dominated viewership, powered by the news organizations that rank at the top of the Filipino industry. There is a separate News & Politics category for this content as well, but many organizations broadcast under the wider Entertainment umbrella.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang unsurprisingly dominated the gaming side of livestreaming viewership for the Philippines. This game was largely only broadcast on YouTube, but other popular gaming titles like Dota 2 and GTA V were streamed on both YouTube and Twitch, with the former generating more watch time for each title.
The livestreaming industry in the Philippines is as multi-faceted as any other leading livestreaming audience. Viewership in the Entertainment category represents viewers of all ages, from serious news breaks to exciting IRL streams on the street, and more specific categories like People & Blogs, Sports, and Gaming all received millions of Hours Watched on YouTube, too
The Philippines’ livestreaming landscape is an evolving and increasingly complex ecosystem that blends old community behaviours with new digital technologies. From its roots in internet cafés to today’s million-viewer esports finals and YouTube-based news organizations, livestreaming has become central to how Filipinos engage with entertainment, news, and each other.
As platforms continue to innovate and creators experiment with format, the country’s young and mobile-native population ensures that the demand for livestreamed content will remain robust. Whether it's gaming, lifestyle, commerce, or culture, the livestream in the Philippines is no longer just a trend — it's a medium for everyday life.
