Streaming News Today: KICK Takes 52% of StarSeries Watch Time as YouTube & Twitch Push Forward

The streaming world keeps moving, and September 21 brings fresh signs of how quickly the competition between KICK, YouTube and Twitch is evolving. Today’s biggest new data point comes from esports, where KICK captured 52% of watch time for StarLadder StarSeries Season 20, according to Streams Charts. The result gives KICK another notable foothold in competitive gaming as it continues expanding its esports audience.

KICK Captures 52% of StarSeries Season 20 Watch Time

Streams Charts reported on September 21 that viewership for StarLadder StarSeries Season 20 more than tripled and that KICK accounted for 52% of the tournament’s watch time. Recent KICK streams for the Counter-Strike 2 event also drew tens of thousands of concurrent viewers, showing how esports partnerships and creator broadcasts can move meaningful audiences onto the platform.

Made On YouTube 2026 Is Coming September 23

YouTube’s next major creator event is only days away. Made On YouTube 2026 takes place September 23 in New York City. YouTube describes the annual event as the place where it reveals product launches and platform improvements creators and viewers will use in the coming year. The official event hub is highlighting YouTube Live, creator monetization and brand partnerships, Studio updates, creative tools and AI.

Twitch Gaming Passes 8.6 Billion Hours Watched

Twitch’s 2026 State of Gaming report says viewers watched more than 8.6 billion hours of gaming content between January 1 and September 1. Twitch also reported a 51% year-over-year increase in hours watched for channels tagged with indie-game content, while streams using the DropsEnabled tag generated 1.6 billion hours watched. The numbers show that Twitch remains deeply tied to gaming even as competitors fight for creators and audiences.

KICK’s Advertising Era Is Underway

KICK is also entering a new phase on the business side. The company launched KICK Ads in August, opening the platform to advertisers after more than three and a half years of focusing on creators, communities and product growth rather than traditional advertising revenue. KICK says the platform surpassed 1.5 billion hours watched in the second quarter of 2026.

What This Means for Streamers

For creators, the bigger story is competition. KICK is strengthening its esports presence and building an advertising business, YouTube is preparing another wave of creator and live-streaming announcements, and Twitch continues to report enormous gaming engagement. More competition between the platforms can mean more tools, sponsorship opportunities and ways for creators to build audiences—but creators still need to evaluate which platform fits their community and content.

Sources: Streams Charts, YouTube Official Blog, Twitch Blog and KICK News & Press. No Blueprint. Just a Vision.