In an industry driven by numbers, it’s easy to get fixated on surface-level metrics like peak viewership or total watch time. But raw data doesn’t always reflect true influence. What separates a streamer who simply draws an audience from one who truly holds it? That’s where engagement comes in, and why organizers, sponsors, teams, and publishers are increasingly looking beyond the basics. They want to know not just how many are watching, but who’s genuinely paying attention.
To address this challenge, Streams Charts introduced a supplemental metric designed to help assess both the legitimacy of a streamer’s audience and how engaged viewers truly are: the Chat Engagement Rate.
So, what exactly is Chat Engagement Rate? In simple terms, it measures how many viewers are actively chatting during a stream, calculated as the ratio of chat participants to total viewers over a given period. The majority of viewers tend to watch silently, but here’s how Streams Charts typically interprets the data:
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Below 10% usually signals weak engagement.
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10–15% is solid.
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15–20% is excellent.
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Over 20% is outstanding and a strong sign that the audience is highly invested in the content.
It’s also important to factor in scale. The larger a streamer’s audience, the harder it is to maintain a high Engagement Rate. For channels pulling several thousand concurrent viewers, an Engagement Rate of 15-20% is already impressive. But that same number would be less remarkable for someone streaming to just a few hundred people.
This metric is more relevant than ever in today’s esports landscape, where tournaments are increasingly expanding their reach through co-streams with community creators. As broadcasts tap into new audiences, it’s crucial for tournament organizers, sponsors and publishers to focus on genuine engagement and authentic viewership, and not just chasing inflated numbers.
Looking to verify the authenticity of a streamer’s audience? Or interested in identifying which streamers or channels have viewers most likely to actively engage with content and campaigns? The powerful Chat Analytics tool from Streams Charts makes it easy. For just $500/month, you’ll gain unlimited access to engagement insights that go far beyond surface-level metrics.
To illustrate the power of Streams Charts in action, we compiled a list of the most engaging esports co-streamers from the past six months (November 2024 to May 2025), ranked by their chat Engagement Rate. As it turns out, most of the top names are rooted in shooter titles, with one standout from a mobile game. Even more notably, the top two streamers in the entire ranking both represent the same esports organization.
Among Twitch streamers averaging at least 100 concurrent viewers, only three stood out with a chat Engagement Rate above 40%, a remarkably high benchmark. Even more striking: two of them represent the same organization, the Argentinian esports club Leviatán. Sitting at the top is DeusAmir, an active Call of Duty: Warzone pro who regularly streams his own matches. Close behind is Lucas "LucasRojo" Rojo, a former coach and now a Valorant-focused content creator for the team.
One surprising stat: only one MOBA streamer cracked the ranking: and it wasn’t even from a PC title. Kuzan_TV, an official Brawl Stars caster and Supercell partner, made the list thanks to his mobile-focused streams. The rest of the top performers come from various shooter titles, from heavyweights like Counter-Strike or Valorant to niche favorites such as Fortnite, PUBG: Battlegrounds and Rainbow Six Siege.
It’s also telling that most of these top-performing creators by Engagement Rate are usually deeply embedded in their games’ competitive scenes, especially relevant at a time when co-streaming is increasingly being offered to variety streamers who may not be directly involved in esports.
Most engaging esports co-casters by game (CS, LoL, Valorant, Dota 2)
A closer look at the top streamers in today’s biggest esports titles further proves the point: many of the most engaging co-streamers come straight from the pro scene. In Valorant, a large share of co-casters are former pros. The trend holds in Dota 2 — where even some active players join the broadcast — and Counter-Strike, too.
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In an industry where numbers often dominate the conversation, it's easy to overlook the nuances that separate truly impactful streamers from the rest. Chat Engagement Rate offers a sharper lens, one that goes beyond raw viewership to measure genuine audience interest and interaction. For tournaments, teams, sponsors, and publishers, this kind of insight is invaluable. After all, it's not just about how many people are watching: it’s about who’s actually paying attention.
That’s where Streams Charts’ Chat Analytics tool proves essential. Built to cut through inflated stats and surface-level impressions, it offers unlimited access to engagement data across Twitch streamers, all for $500/month. Whether you're scouting talent, planning a campaign, or simply want to make smarter decisions with real metrics, this tool is the ultimate cheat code for identifying esports’ most engaged audiences.
