
of Viewbotting
How Fake Viewers Undermine Marketing on
Twitch, Kick, YouTube Live, and TikTok Live
The latest data on viewbotting trends across Twitch, Kick, YouTube and TikTok.
How fake viewers distort campaign results and waste marketing budgets.
The real business risks for brands, agencies, and honest creators.
Proven methods for detecting and mitigating fraudulent engagement.
Expert recommendations and Twitch perspective provided for this report.
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The latest data on viewbotting trends across Twitch, Kick, YouTube and TikTok.
How fake viewers distort campaign results and waste marketing budgets.
The real business risks for brands, agencies, and honest creators.
Proven methods for detecting and mitigating fraudulent engagement.
Expert recommendations and Twitch perspective provided for this report.

- Modern viewbots are more advanced than ever: rotating IPs, simulating chat, and even using AI to answer questions.
- 10% of streamers actively engage in viewbotting, constantly adapting their tactics to evade detection.
- In Q2 2025, suspicious Twitch streams generated 30M+ hours of fake watch time — comparable to the weekly viewership of Netflix’s top series.
- On Kick, one in six streamers with 50+ average viewers used viewbots, producing nearly 20M hours of inflated watch time in just one quarter.
- The analysis also incorporates commentary from Twitch on selected data segments, providing the platform’s perspective alongside our independent findings.

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FAQ
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What is viewbotting on Twitch?
Viewbotting on Twitch is the practice of using fake or automated viewers to artificially inflate livestream numbers. According to our 2025 whitepaper, up to 10% of suspicious Twitch channels show persistent viewbotting patterns, with over 41,000 channels flagged in a single quarter.
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What is viewbotting on Kick?
Viewbotting on Kick involves similar tactics, with bots used to boost viewer counts and engagement metrics. In Q2 2025, the number of confirmed viewbotters on Kick tripled to nearly 3,000, and more than 16% of Kick streamers averaging 50+ live viewers were identified as viewbotters. This trend highlights a growing challenge for brands and marketers on the platform.
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What is viewbotting on YouTube?
On YouTube, viewbotting can distort both livestream and video analytics. Fake viewers can inflate watch time and engagement, making it harder for brands to assess true campaign performance. Our research shows that as detection methods improve, some bad actors are shifting their tactics to target YouTube Live.
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What is viewbotting on TikTok?
Viewbotting on TikTok Live is an emerging issue, with fake viewers used to manipulate popularity and discoverability. While TikTok’s algorithms are evolving, marketers should remain vigilant and use third-party analytics to spot suspicious spikes in viewership and engagement.