Twitch sports streamers like EsfandTV are blowing up

Want to find a better way of watching sports? Twitch might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

It’s no secret that fans have historically consumed sports through live events and cable TV, but as media consumption has shifted, many — especially in younger generations — have sought out sports content on social platforms.

Twitch, in particular, has attracted a lot of sports fans and streamers. During the COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020, athletes and sports leagues around the world joined the platform to stream video games when live sports were temporarily on hiatus — and years later, some of them are still active. WNBA star Aerial powers streams her playing video games such as NBA 2K. Apex Legends, while Argentinian former soccer player Sergio Agüero uses his channel to livestream Kings League and Queens League games. NBA, NFL, UFC, etc., have their Twitch channels to promote and distribute content. The UFC, for example, runs live streams of former boxer, kickboxer and mixed martial arts fighter Jens Pulver.

Twitch introduced in recent years a TwitchSports category and a TwitchSports Channel to make it easier for users to find sports content. On the stand-alone sports category page — which, as of publication, has 2.7 million followers — users can find creators commentating and analyzing various sports, reaction and watch-along streams, some live sports feeds, and streams of creators playing sports video games. Take a look and you’ll see everything from motorsports and soccer to tennis, volleyball, and even pickleball.

EnterpriseAppsToday reported that in 2023, Twitch’s “Sports” category registered around 8 million hours of watch time. YPulse’s April survey found that 66% Gen Zers tune into platforms such as Twitch in order to watch their favorite sports. “In contrast to the more spectator-oriented sports watching of earlier generations, Gen Z has evolved the experience into an interactive digital experience through social and streaming platforms,” says Anastasia Pelot, YPulse’s content marketing manager.

While livestreams of major league games are less common to find on Twitch due to broadcast rights, some leagues — nationally and globally — have experimented with streaming games in recent years. The NBA signed with Twitch a contract in 2017 for the streaming of minor league games, while also allowing their fans to engage with each other. In 2019, the two companies partnered up for another deal that would exclusively stream USA Basketball matches globally. Nielsen estimated that 13 million people watched the first game of Amazon’s Thursday Night Football series last year, including U.S. Prime Video users who streamed it on Twitch.

Twitch streamer EsfandTV – who asked to be called Esfand, for this article – has over 1.2 million subscribers who watch his content not only in gaming, but also sports. Twitch’s broadcast rights, he says, are one factor that keeps it from being a true sports streaming service. Esfand says that leagues retain the right to decide where to air sports.

“The NBA is king,” Esfand says. “When it comes to hockey, the NHL is king. But what’s happening is these different leagues, they are the boss. They’re the governing body. They have all the rights to everything and when it comes to content, they can be in control.”

Esfand points out that a partnership with a streaming service provider who has a big audience can be a great way for a league to lower the barriers to entry. “You can’t just block it out in certain markets,” Esfand says. “When I did a stream [of a football game], I think Canada couldn’t watch. Most of Europe couldn’t watch.”

Some leagues and streamers have had successful partnerships. LiveMode teamed up with Brazilian Casimito, to broadcast 2022 World Cup in Latin America on Twitch. Men’s BlazersThe podcast broadcast its live-along watch-alongs for some World Cup games in the U.S. Earlier this year, Casimito also struck a deal to stream the 2023 Women’s World Cup on his channel. The NBA also signed a deal in 2021 with Alexandre “Gaules” Borba Chiqueta and Budweiser to stream games in Brazilian markets.

“These are the things that, if they’re done the right way, you are now attracting the younger audience who is not watching cable TV as much anymore,” Esfand says.

Esfand’s channel is not just about streaming video games. Esfand’s Tailgate Tour, where he visits college towns and showcases college football culture — everything from the tailgating atmosphere to the energy inside the stadium — resonates strongly with young and global fans, especially those who might not be familiar with American college traditions.

Livestreamed April in the month of April Esfand’s Draft Night ExtravaganzaThe broadcast was on Twitch. This broadcast was timed to coincide with the NFL Draft. It featured a mixture of Twitch creators such as Will Neff, Erobb221 and current and ex-NFL players like Austin Ekeler Micah Parsons and Kenny Vaccaro who provided commentary and analysis on the draft choices.

In some cases, fans preferred Esfand’s show to the traditional broadcast. “I havent watched or cared about football in like 10 years but i still watched this whole stream and loved it,” one viewer commented on YouTube, where the Twitch stream was uploaded after airing.

Another user wrote, “I love all things football and I pretty much had the draft on TV muted while watching your stream.”

Esfand says he feels fortunate he’s been able to stream more sports content on his channel over the last few years, to the point where people have recognized him solely for his football content. He adds that it’s been interesting seeing fans evolve from those that were fans of his gaming streams to ones who are sports fans, or discovering gaming fans who are also sports fans.

“I have people that have been watching me for years playing World of Warcraft or doing something that isn’t football, but they’re actually huge football fans,” Esfand says. “A big part of Twitch is that people like watching streamers they can relate to. Because what happens is, it’s not just about the streamer; it’s also about the streamer’s chat. Now they are getting involved in the community, whether it’s just through chat itself or through Discord.”

Alex Casassovici is the founder and CEO at Azarus. Azarus works with creators online to improve streaming experiences. He says livestreaming of sports or sports-related material on platforms such as Twitch provides a closer experience between streamers and their fans.

“I think what we’re looking at is either a very curated kind of managed channel, and more grassroots-like, creator-led experiences,” Casassovici says. “That’s clearly something that can be differentiated when it comes to streaming.”

Twitch is investing heavily in streamers of sports. A few years ago, the platform launched the Sports Accelerator Program to support sports content creators wanting to get into “sports talk,” like podcasts, talk shows, reaction streams, sidecasts, watch-alongs, and more, through live workshops and by providing opportunities to network and expand their viewership.

Keira Megan from the U.K., also known as keirameganxx, is a Twitch streamer who focuses on motorsports and soccer, including Formula 1. She has been streaming on Twitch for a little over a year, with an emphasis on Formula 1 and other motorsports. While Formula 1 has always been primarily popular in Europe, it’s seen growth among new fans in the United States in recent years, thanks in part to docuseries like Netflix’s Drive to Survive.

While she doesn’t stream actual races or games due to broadcast rights, Megan hosts watch-along streams for fans who want to hear her commentary. Megan says that while she doesn’t have as many followers on Twitch as she does on her YouTube channel, there are elements of Twitch she prefers to YouTube, including the ability to be herself and engage with fans more closely.

“People want to know what you want to say,” Megan says. “They come into my Twitch channel and ask me about the race. Then, three days after the race they came back and asked about it. [soccer] match. It’s a hot topic. Twitch would be a good tool for this. I think it’s good for one-on-one. I find that Twitch is where I’m the most engaged with my audiences, and they feel closest to me.”