Throughout the history of the streaming world, some creators have tried to take their content as far as possible. More often than not, that means doing something bigger, better, or bolder than every competing creator on the platform. If there’s one thing that turns heads, it’s a world record-length stream – a broadcast that can go on for hundreds of hours. With this guide, learn the record for the longest Twitch stream and find out why creators try to go live for as long as possible.

From streaming Call of Duty for an entire week to having a non-stop charity stream that rotates hosts for months on end, there are plenty of records out there. There are records for the highest number of viewers and for the most followers secured in a single stream. As there are quite literally millions of streamers, there are many people attempting to break the record for the longest Twitch stream every single day.

Every time the record is broken, it just becomes more and more challenging for the next competitor.

longest twitch stream

Why Do Creators Do Marathon Streams?

There are many reasons that content creators push out marathon-length streams on a regular basis:

  • It allows them to reach a global audience as they cover every timezone imaginable.
  • It’s a marketing tactic that brings in viewers based on the incredible feat that’s being attempted.
  • It can generate a lot of income based on ad revenue, subscriptions, and donations earned during the long-form stream.
  • It can allow a streamer to ‘farm content’, as countless clips, videos, and ‘shorts’ may be captured during the marathon stream.
  • If the streamer is playing a competitive title, then playing for so long at launch may enable them to reach the maximum level as quickly as possible.
  • There are opportunities for streamers to pair a marathon stream with a charity fundraising event.

It’s a diverse concept, but for some, long-form streams only take place because the content creator in question really likes games and wants to play them for a remarkably long time. For some, the nature of streaming being a full-time job means that they’ll dive into a stream and it won’t end for eight, ten, maybe even twelve hours – or more.

That may sound like a lot – especially if you’re only just learning how to become a streamer – but trust us, it’s not a patch on the longest Twitch stream.

What’s The Longest Twitch Stream Ever?

At present, the record for the longest Twitch stream can come in two forms:

  • Longest concurrent stream
  • Longest subathon (which may have restarts)
GPHustla Longest Concurrent Stream

© GPHustla | Totally Game

By January 2023, the record for the longest Twitch stream (concurrent) sat at 15,320 hours – 638 days. This was set by streamer GPHustla, whose record-setting stream was stopped only

by Twitch issuing the channel a ban. It’s alleged by Twitch Support that, during the stream, GPHustla infringed upon several rules in the terms of service, but the ban has no impact on the fact that he’s a record holder who may not be beaten for some time.

In his own words, GPHustla was aiming for 1000 days straight after starting out with the intention of going live for just twenty-four hours. In a Tweet on his 365th day, he proudly declared:

“I’m the first person in history to spend a year of their life live online every minute.”

Emilycc longest subathon

© emilycc

However, the world’s longest subathon is actually still ongoing, at the time of writing this guide. On Twitch, user emilycc has created a streaming setup that accommodates an almost unstoppable subathon. As these words are being written, emilycc’s subathon has been ongoing for more than 436 days, and as users keep extending the subathon, there’s the very real possibility that it may never actually end.

In an interview with Buzzfeed, Emily explained that she desires to go a full two years on stream.

Read Also: Most Viewed Twitch Stream

What Are Some Other Twitch Records?

So, we’ve covered the longest Twitch stream, but we did also mention that lots of other records exist. In this section of our guide, we’ll cover some of the highest-performing streamers in the history of the Twitch platform. If you’re looking to secure enough streaming tips, then eventually, you may rank up here on this guide!

Highest Peak Viewer Count

While streaming and talking over a live boxing event, Twitch creator ‘ibai’ set the world record for the highest peak viewership count, smashing the previous record by an absolute mile. During his stream, he amassed a concurrent viewership count of 3.35 million – devastating the previous record by more than 1 million viewers. Since then, ibai has gone on to win streaming awards and amass more than 12 million followers on the platform.

ibai longest twitch stream

©Ibai – Ibai’s stream secured the highest peak viewership in history on Twitch

Most Paid Subscribers In One Stream

During an incredible and memorable subathon on Twitch, Ludwig Ahgren, arguably one of the most popular creators in history, secured a mighty record. In 2021, during a subathon that lasted ‘only’ 31 days, Ludwig racked up a staggering 271,000 paid subscribers, technically in one stream. Previously, the existing record was set by Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, and it stood at 269,000. This single stream made Ludwig the most subbed Twitch streamer ever.

Ludwig has since left the Twitch platform to stream exclusively on YouTube. If you’re trying to figure out how to stream on YouTube yourself, then tune into this masterful streamer and see him in action.

longest twitch stream ludwig

© Ludwig – Ludwig’s marathon stream netted him almost $1 million in earnings

Most Followers On Twitch

This is a very dynamic record as it’s likely to shift and change, but the reigning champion on the platform has sat firmly in place for years. At present, the record holder for the most followers on Twitch is Ninja, boasting an eye-watering 18.5 million followers. Once upon a time, Ninja was the most subscribed-to streamer on the platform, but that record was beaten by Ludwig, as we’ve just explained.

Ninja Successful Streamer

© Ninja

Read Also: Most Subbed Twitch Streamers