Twitch returned to growth across nearly all major audience and creator activity metrics in July. Most key indicators increased by between 3% and 7% compared with June, while the platform also recorded its broadest content coverage of 2026. July additionally produced Twitch’s largest individual broadcast of the year, a result that is likely to remain unmatched through the end of 2026.
Twitch reverses its decline across core activity metrics
The only Twitch metric to fall to a yearly low was the peak number of concurrent live channels. It declined by 16% and dropped below 130,000 for the first time in 2026. However, this was an outlier within a broader improvement in creator activity.
The average number of concurrent channels increased by 3% to more than 86,000, ending the metric’s downward trajectory for the first time this year. More than 3.2 million unique channels went live during the month, representing growth of 7% and a second consecutive monthly increase. Streamers also broadcast across more than 43,500 categories, the widest variety recorded on Twitch in 2026.
Audience metrics followed the same positive trend. Average concurrent viewership returned above two million, total Hours Watched increased by 6% to more than 1.47 billion, and the platform’s monthly peak surpassed 4.6 million viewers, its highest level of the year.
IRL and survival content gain momentum
Action and Shooter remained Twitch’s two largest content genres, but both recorded modest declines of between 1% and 3%. The quieter esports schedule for major shooters contributed to the slowdown, while MOBA titles and non-gaming broadcasts attracted greater attention during July.
Most of the remaining genres in the top 10 improved. Survival content posted the largest increase at 19%, while the IRL genre grew by almost 17%. Simulators was the only other leading genre to decline, falling by approximately 2%.
Palworld and Streamer University reshape July’s category ranking
Counter-Strike recorded the largest decline among Twitch’s leading games. This was largely seasonal: June featured a record-breaking Major, whereas July offered few comparable tournaments capable of sustaining the same level of interest.
Palworld moved in the opposite direction, growing from only hundreds of average viewers to tens of thousands and entering Twitch’s top 10 game categories. Its surge coincided with Twitch Summer Drop Fest 2026, which allowed viewers to unlock in-game rewards by watching eligible broadcasts during July.
The other major driver of July viewership was Streamer University. Kai Cenat returned to streaming with one of his most ambitious events to date, bringing thousands of creators onto the platform and giving both emerging and already established young streamers significantly greater exposure. Over just several days, Streamer University generated more Twitch watch time than every individual game except League of Legends.
Ibai dominates channel rankings
Despite the scale of Streamer University, July’s leading individual creator was Ibai “Ibai” Llanos. The latest edition of his creator-boxing event, La Velada del Año VI, placed him first on Twitch by both Hours Watched and Peak Viewers. His broadcast also accounted for almost half of Twitch’s overall monthly peak.
Several Streamer University participants entered the top 10 by Hours Watched. Alongside Kai “KaiCenat” Cenat, the ranking featured Rani “StableRonaldo” Netz and Nick “Lacy” Fosco. The most notable newcomer was Jacob “suburbbaby” Ogunlade, one of the event’s breakout participants, who immediately climbed to fourth place.
Streamer University participants were similarly prominent by Peak Viewers. The leading channels included QuVonn “2xRaKai” Linder, Roberto “Fanum” Escanio, and Jason “jasontheween” Nguyen, in addition to several creators already present in the Hours Watched ranking.
Among channels operated by companies and organizations, Games Done Quick entered the Hours Watched ranking through its annual summer event. The official Warframe channel placed third by Peak Viewers thanks to TennoCon 2026, which established a new audience record for the channel.
Rivers leads the female streamer ranking
The ranking of female Twitch creators changed considerably compared with June. Previous leader Emily “Emiru” Schunk dropped outside the top five, while Samantha “rivers_gg” Rivera Treviño moved into first place.
Rivera Treviño competed at La Velada del Año VI, where she lost to Spanish content creator Rocío López Bueno, better known as RoRo. Although the result went against her, the appearance introduced her channel to a wider audience and helped drive additional viewership during the month.
