Host Geoff Keighley couldn’t hold back the excitement in an interview after the show as he claimed that he’s ”thrilled to report their ninth year of record-setting growth”. Now, a little over a week after the December 8 broadcast of the show, the numbers are here to back that up. Over 103 million total viewers tuned in to see some of the most prestigious awards in the gaming industry be given out at this annual event. While this paints the picture of increased interest in video games, The Game Awards deserves props for its organization and, perhaps more importantly, its execution. You can’t break the 2022 Oscars viewership numbers many times over without a solid strategy, despite the monetization aspect still lagging behind. Having the event streamed on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Stream, TikTok Live, and Instagram Live certainly helped. 103 million is 20% more than the 85 million that witnessed the ceremony last year. What’s more impressive was the 20% increase in peak viewership on Twitch, where over 1,9 million concurrent viewers watched Elden Ring take home The Game of the Year award. The giveaways also motivated viewers to tune in, with Steam giving out Steam Decks during and after the show. And according to the press release, social media also felt the storm generated. The show was the number one trending topic on Twitter, with a 28% increase in conversation volume. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the industry as the numbers have increased every year.
2022: 103 Million2021: 85 Million2020: 83 Million 2019: 45.2 Million 2018: 26.2 Million 2017: 11.5 Million 2016: 3.8 Million 2015: 2.3 Million2014: 1.9 Million Next year marks out 10th annual show. — Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) December 16, 2022 With sustained growth like this, it’s only reasonable to think their tenth-year anniversary next year should break even more records. More investors, advertisers, sponsors, and funds should result in a larger arena, a bigger audience, and an even more spectacular show. The gaming industry has been on an upward trajectory for quite some time now, and the 2022 Game Awards only further prove that.
