By Sagar V. Mankar 
The 10th anniversary of The Game Awards (TGA) proved to be its most successful iteration yet, shattering previous viewership records with an impressive 154 million global livestreams, 31% increase from the 2023’s event.
Former Nintendo executive Reggie Fils-Aimé shared a statistical graph on X, highlighting the steady rise in TGA’s viewership over the years. He even claimed that the TGA 2024 had surpassed the NFL’s Super Bowl in terms of audience numbers. Reggie congratulated Geoff Keighley, the host and creator of the awards, for this groundbreaking accomplishment.
Held on December 12 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the event’s widespread availability on multiple streaming platforms played a pivotal role in its success. Audiences accessed the show through popular platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Steam, as well as newer channels such as TikTok Live, Instagram Live, and Facebook. The ceremony also expanded its reach into Asian markets, broadcasting on platforms like Bilibili, Huya, and Douyin in China, CHZZK in South Korea, and NicoNico in Japan.
A closer look at TGA’s viewership trajectory over the past decade:
- 2024: 154 million
- 2023: 118 million
- 2022: 103 million
- 2021: 85 million
- 2020: 83 million
- 2019: 45.2 million
- 2018: 26.2 million
- 2017: 11.5 million
- 2016: 3.8 million
- 2015: 2.3 mIllion
- 2014: 1.9 million
@thegameawards is the biggest global entertainment event of our time, now shockingly bigger than @NFL‘s Super Bowl. Well done, @geoffkeighley. pic.twitter.com/KYHXUVsFKc
— Reggie Fils-Aimé (@Reggie) December 18, 2024
In a separate statistical analysis by StreamCharts, a popular stream aggregator, the event reached a peak of over 4 million viewers across platforms outside the Asian and Pacific territories. The Game Awards’ official YouTube channel led the charge with 1.25 million viewers, while popular content creators like Asmongold and MoistCr1tikal also drew more than 100,000 viewers each while co-streaming the event.
Here are the most viewed channels as per StreamCharts:
- The Game Awards (YouTube): 1,250,470
- The Game Awards (Twitch): 397,518
- IGN: 171,407
- Zackrawrr: 114,513
- penguinz0: 111,481
The evening featured standout moments, including Team Asobi’s “Astro Bot” dominating the awards with four wins, including Game of the Year. Indie titles also shone brightly, with “Balatro” earning three awards, including Best Independent Game and Best Mobile Game, matching “Metaphor: ReFantazio” for the second-most wins.
Exciting game announcements added to the thrill. FromSoftware unveiled “Elden Ring Nightreign,” a cooperative sequel to their 2022 Game of the Year winner. Capcom revealed new entries in the Okami and Onimusha series, and CD Projekt Red officially confirmed the development on The Witcher 4.
Adding to the spectacle were star-studded presenters like Harrison Ford, Aaron Paul, and Ella Purnell, alongside musical performances by Twenty One Pilots and Snoop Dogg. The show’s success is a testament to its unique position as an independent production, thriving without exclusive streaming deals with any single network or platform.
Sources: StreamCharts (viewership data)