The second quarter of 2025 has been a fascinating period for the livestreaming industry, and TikTok Live has emerged as a true powerhouse, particularly in the realm of TikTok gaming. While established platforms like Twitch and YouTube Live navigate shifting trends and emerging competitors like Kick vie for attention, TikTok Live continues to captivate a specific, mobile-first audience with its unique blend of short-form content and interactive live streams.
To truly understand the trends of this sector, it is key to dive deep to TikTok Live, not only is useful data, but it also provides metrics that can allow us to see what the user wants and trends of that demographic.
In this report, there are key factors:
- The most popular games for content creators: Which all lead to an increased potential
- The types of audience these types of channels mostly see: To better understand the reach
- All unique content for each influencer is key and necessary for each respective one to grow.
While a comprehensive view of the entire livestreaming landscape is necessary, focusing specifically on the unique attributes of TikTok Live and its prowess in the gaming space yields invaluable insights into a specific market segment. It also shows what makes unique between new and already well established platforms. Visit TikTok Categories Comparison to compare the segments.
TikTok Live’s Advantages in the Gaming Market
One of TikTok Live’s core areas of strength is its inherent ability to attract a dynamic gaming audience. Data obtained from TikTok Stats reveals that the platform’s genesis as a breeding ground for viral, user-generated content makes it exceptionally well-suited for fostering casual, engaging gameplay, high-energy esports events, and bite-sized game showcases. Its viewership are more the time, younger audience such as Gen Z members, since they connect through their phones for everything.
To take on this, the platform has evolved with a few strategies, which gives space for more engagement to TikTok Live.
- Easy to understand the algorithm is very relevant to both viewers and creators:
- A unique system where TikTok Live ensures all demographics are equal *A unique approach to both game devs and content creators to do sponsored: Transparency, as the users now wants, is a must for a more organic growth in viewerships, and positive results for the advertising
Analyzing Key Differences with Traditional Esports
While the “traditional” esports model may appear to be plateauing across some platforms, TikTok Live provides a very relevant alternative to the typical desktop and long-form gameplays, mostly found in other platforms. It has a quick and fast engagement with content creators, which is why the new generation prefers it more, it allows both viewers and talents to connect in a more organic way. As such, they are also able to create a unique brand and market that brand.
Because it can be casual, this can allow unique interactions due to the nature of the hardware it is displayed to (Mobiled devices). This, will also mean different approaches to the traditional esports broadcasts:
- With vertical-format for TikTok it can attract different audiences (again with mobile devices in mind) With that change, there will be new and unique sponsorships and partnerships which are better for brands than traditional formats. This can mean unique brand exposure to specific niches, which are proven to have much more positive and reliable results for engagement.
TikTok Live Gaming sees success due to a variety of reasons. There can be discussed a few different types of demographics to highlight:
Cultivating a robust mobile gaming community. This is why is so fast growth
- Esports are easy to showcase. It can engage quick and casual players
- Viewership tends to the young demographics. There is a new wave which consumes mobile
- It has both casual and relevant gaming formats. A blend of a more dynamic short content is to come.
To truly comprehend the impact and nuances of the TikTok Live Gaming space, explore the TikTok Live Stats.
TikTok Live Gaming Category Rankings (Q2 2025)
Here’s a snapshot of the top TikTok Live gaming categories and what makes them popular for livestreaming:
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB): This game is popular due to its high-action and quick 5v5 gameplay, making it great for more engaged mobile viewers.
- Garena Free Fire: This game is popular due to its fast-paced survival shooter action. Its casual and friendly game style makes for any type of audience to watch.
- PUBG Mobile: One of the kings of the battle royale is also one of the most well know and played games.
- Roblox: This game is highly popular due to unique user-generated content and diverse gaming experiences. You can find lots of different niches from a single game.
- Grand Theft Auto V: One of the biggest action titles in history is also featured, and offers new approaches for how more conventional games should follow up with
Influencer and Transparent Advertising
As the demographics shift in audience, there will also be a necessity to adapt to how that new public watches content. New integrations between esports viewership, gaming, and social content will be required, and with that will come new forms of showcasing, advertising, and so on. With all this, there comes the question “How do you create the new market?” To have more engagement for brand advertising, there are a few steps which can be taken, to have a positive result for each:
To obtain quality for both talents, brands and viewers/sponsors the focus is on all three:
- Create a transparent promotion based on all parties *The product must be good *The talent must trust it *Its promotion to the viewship has all to be transparent to be organic
That, comes with that new approach can be implemented:
Influencer-based advertising: Transparency will become a core aspect of content Connecting directly with its user base is key
All in all, those strategies will make an impact to have a positive growth to connect with most type of audiences, either younger or niche audiences. TikTok Live is very dynamic for this, which can have relevant impact. With all being said, TikTok livestreaming can reach a wider area of demographics as it does more tests. As times goes on, and as younger people access for the first to the internet, more new things will evolve and it is important to know how to adapt to it.
