During the third quarter of 2025, the industry showed mixed results across major platforms. While overall viewership remained stable, Twitch and YouTube Live continued to record modest declines in watch time, whereas rising stars TikTok Live and Kick rocketed upwards. TikTok Live has continued to strengthen its position in the industry, posting another quarter of strong growth.
TikTok’s rise underscores its ability to bridge casual, social, and gaming audiences in a way few competitors have managed. The platform’s mobile-native audience and short-form discovery algorithm feeds organic traffic to livestreams, a structural advantage which keeps engagement high for creators.
According to data courtesy of TikTokStats.com, TikTok Live viewership grew significantly across major categories throughout Q3 2025, totalling over 9.23B Hours Watched (HW). This marked an increase of almost 15% quarter-on-quarter, and saw the gap to industry leader YouTube Live narrow significantly. With mobile audiences staying strong, TikTok Live is a stable pillar of growth in the livestreaming sector.
TikTok Live gained on industry leader YouTube Live in Q3 2025
As previously reported in our Q3 2025 Global Livestreaming Landscape article, the standings of the major streaming platforms for Q3 show a volatile industry, with many platforms recording significant changes compared to last quarter. Not only are the rankings and viewership of platforms constantly shifting, but so is the content behind their success.
Q3 2025 saw TikTok Live grow in its gaming and esports sectors, an area that previously was dominated by YouTube Live and Twitch. Of its total 9.232B Hours Watched for the quarter, 1.29B of this came from its Games categories, over 245K higher than last quarter. Not only are TikTok Live viewers watching beauty broadcasts or outdoors content, something the platform has become known for, but the platform is also diversifying into various corners of the internet.
These shifts illustrate TikTok Live’s unique positioning: a hybrid between casual social streaming and mobile esports broadcasting. The platform’s gaming viewership growth contrasts with the softening scene on Twitch and YouTube, suggesting a migration of mobile audiences to environments that are built natively for their devices.
Most popular categories on TikTok Live Q3 2025
TikTok Live’s Chats category retained its dominant position at the top of the rankings, increasing its viewership by over 500M HW quarter-on-quarter — this category is not only popular with mobile-forward audiences, but also dominates platforms like Twitch.
Fashion & Beauty content continued to rise, something more particular to TikTok; the category benefited from seasonal campaigns and influencer-led product showcases throughout Q3 2025. Talent and Outdoors streams also saw moderate growth, reinforcing the platform’s strength in casual, social, and lifestyle content.
TikTok Live’s gaming scene shifted noticeably in Q3 2025, led by a standout performance from Roblox, which climbed to the top of all gaming categories on the platform with 288.3M HW. The sandbox hit surged past its competitors thanks to a wave of creative user-generated content, cross-platform trends, and TikTok-native communities. The game’s adaptability and social nature make it an ideal fit for TikTok Live’s mobile-driven, interactive ecosystem.
Not so close behind, Garena Free Fire secured the second spot, fueled by strong regional engagement from mobile gaming audiences around the globe. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, last quarter’s top performer, placed third in Q3 but still posted impressive numbers amid rising competition. The competition between Free Fire and MLBB was close last quarter, but they were both overtaken by Roblox’s atmospheric rise in Q3 2025.
Further down the list, PUBG Mobile roughly maintained its viewership alongside GTA V, which continued to hold a steady foothold within TikTok Live’s gaming segment. The category’s role-playing and open-world storytelling potential has become popular on livestreaming platforms across the globe.
TikTok Live’s trajectory through 2025 shows no signs of slowing. Its combination of frictionless content creation, short-form integration, and algorithmic discovery has given it a structural advantage over legacy platforms. As mobile gaming and livestreaming continue to expand, TikTok Live could soon challenge YouTube Live in gaming watch time — something that seemed unlikely just a year ago.
Keep an eye on TikTok Live’s end-of-year performance as the platform enters its strongest seasonal window. With many holidays throughout the season, special event content and collaborations will likely reinforce TikTok Live as one of the strongest figures in livestreaming — with a Christmas miracle, TikTok Live could overtake legacy titans in gaming.