On Wednesday, January 20th, 2021, President Joe Biden was sworn into office as millions across the country tuned in for the event. Many of those viewers watched via live streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch although YouTube was the heavy favorite. Media companies like NBC News, ABC News, PBS, FOX News, and more leveraged YouTube for their broadcast of the inauguration. The continued growth of live streaming viewership, especially during the global pandemic, has generated an opportunity for extended reach to those who use the platforms. Since the beginning of the election season in 2020, politicians and media have taken to YouTube and Twitch to stream debates and political events while some individual streamers use the coverage to generate their own opinionated content.
- Between YouTube and Twitch, nearly 29M hours watched were generated via the inauguration live streams.
- NBC News was the most watched YouTube stream with 5.6M hours watched while HasanAbi was the most watched on Twitch with 826K.
- YouTube captured more political media streams (like NBC News) which proved successful in securing a larger market share. Conversely, Twitch was home to more individual streamers co-streaming the inauguration and providing their personal commentary and opinions.
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