The number of hours of sports content watched on gaming-oriented streaming platform Twitch has more than doubled this year, according to data from industry analysts Stream Hatchet.

Why it matters

Online video platforms like Twitch can be effective ways for sports teams and sports media to engage younger audiences – 61% of Twitch's US audience is aged between 18 and 24.

Additional research shows sports media consumption is expected to increasingly shift to short-form and user-generated content. Twitch has also played an important role in this, for example, with players from football club Real Madrid using the platform to connect...