Esports data platform Streams Charts and market research firm Niko Partners have published a report analysing streaming trends for the East Asia region.
The report focuses on the first half of 2023, highlighting trends in South Korean, Chinese, and Japanese markets.
The report reveals the most popular titles based on hours watched, with various esports titles dominating statistics. According to the report, esports continues to have a growing presence for gamers in Asia with over half of the top streamed games being esports titles.
For the South Korean market, League of Legends tops the charts with a total of 157.19m hours watched, holding an impressive 16.8% share of total viewership. Riot Games’ MOBA is the only title to feature in the top ten based on hours watched across all three regions.
In comparison, the Japanese streaming market is built around VALORANT and Apex Legends. Riot Games’ tactical shooter is the second-most popular title with 113.44m hours watched. The FPS title was behind the ‘gaming’ category from Youtube and Kick, which amassed 152.27m hours during the first half of 2023. League of Legends is the fifth most-popular title in Japan, with 38.29m hours watched through popular content creators rather than official tournament streams.
Interestingly the most popular channel in Japan for H1 2023 was VALORANT esports’ official Japanese-language feed on Twitch. The channel recorded just over 14m hours watched for the first six months of 2023.
Chinese market analysis from Streams Charts reveals mobile MOBA title Honor of Kings as the most-watched game with nearly 5.7bn hours watched. League of Legends is the second-highest with just under 4.5bn hours watched. These statistics are garnered across a range of platforms, including popular Chinese streaming sites BiliBili and Huya.
Overall, MOBAs, first-person shooters (FPS), and battle royale titles feature heavily across all three regions, with new game releases also starting to influence streaming trends.
Sergii Rudenko, Head of Sales and Partnerships at Streams Charts, spoke on the report: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Niko Partners in the dynamic realm of live-streaming market analysis in East Asia.
“This collaboration represents a natural progression for Streams Charts as we continue to expand our horizons and deliver unparalleled insights to our clients. By joining forces with Niko Partners, a recognised leader in the field, we are harnessing the collective power of our expertise to unlock new dimensions of understanding within this vibrant industry.”
