Three Streams Are Stickier Than Two

This was the first week we measured watch time across a sample of ViewGrid layouts, and the results surprised us. The number of streams in a grid appears to have a direct relationship with how long people keep it open. Layouts with three or more streams were kept open far longer than those with only one or two.

The Third Stream Threshold

For this first analysis, we measured a sample of 406 grids created between September 14 and September 20. Overall, the median watch time was 1 minute, with 25% of these grids staying open for longer than 15 minutes. But this average hides a clear split.

For the 84 single-stream grids we measured, most were closed within the first minute. Only 6% of them were still open after 15 minutes. The pattern was similar for the 89 two-stream grids in our sample; most also closed within the first minute, though 19% made it past the 15-minute mark.

The behavior was different for the 233 layouts with three or more streams. Here, the median watch time was 2 minutes. Of these larger grids, 34% were kept open for over 15 minutes, and 13% of all grids measured were watched for over an hour.

A Mid-Week Peak

Across the whole week, people opened 7,057 grids using the multi-stream viewer. The busiest day was September 17, when 1,562 grids were created. The day before, September 16, was nearly as active, with 1,542 grids.

The data on larger grids aligns with the watch time findings. Most layouts were built for more than just a couple of streams, with 60% of all grids containing three or more. We also saw 780 grids created with nine or more streams. On 573 occasions, people built grids that combined streams from different platforms, like YouTube and Twitch, in the same layout.

Esports and County Cricket

From our event pages, the LEC Summer Finals 2026 was the most-clicked event, with 156 clicks to create a grid. Table tennis followed, with the WTT Star Contender Astana 2026 event page getting 77 clicks.

Cricket also drew interest. The Rothesay County Championship: 15–18 September 2026 event page was used to create 76 grids. Rounding out the top five were the FIP Senior World Cup 2026 with 72 clicks and the Karate1 Youth League Guadalajara 2026 with 53. All five of these events offered free-to-watch live streams.

This is the first time we've had this kind of watch time data to look at. We'll be curious to see if these patterns hold up in the coming weeks.

Coming up next week

EMEA Masters Summer 2026 — starts September 21
WTA 125 Korea Open — starts September 21. The official broadcast is paid; on ViewGrid you can line up free commentary and watchalong streams.
WTA 125 Singapore Tennis Open — starts September 21. The official broadcast is paid; on ViewGrid you can line up free commentary and watchalong streams.
Fat Bear Week 2026 — starts September 22
Rothesay County Championship Final Round 2026 — starts September 24
Formula 1 Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2026 — starts September 24. The official broadcast is paid; on ViewGrid you can line up free commentary and watchalong streams.