Twitch

Twitch is the largest game live-streaming platform, and its defining characteristic is the relationship between streamer and chat — audiences return for a person rather than for a game.

Monetization runs through subscriptions, bits and advertising, with subscriptions the most meaningful for established streamers because they represent recurring rather than one-off support.

Categories now extend well past gaming into music, art, cooking and just-chatting, but the culture and discovery mechanics still favour long, regular broadcasts over short clips.