Live Streaming Statistics

While live streaming had been making strides in the previous years, the coronavirus pandemic gave it further momentum, fuelling its expansion across different platforms. From sporting events to video gaming, live streaming has become one of the most common and popular ways to consume content and a staple in every marketing strategy. Therefore, we have compiled these live streaming statistics to help you find out what audience uses live streaming the most, how big the industry is, and all the trends shaping this field.

Live Streaming Statistics (Editor’s Choice)

• Approximately 54% of live streamers post content about esports and gaming.
• About 80% of people would rather watch a live stream than read a blog from a brand.
• Breaking news accounts for 56% of the most viewed live stream content.
• Six in 10 young adults in the US watch TV through online streaming primarily.
• Over 2.5 million people are watching Twitch right now.
• Since its launch, the term ‘Facebook Live Stream’ increased in popularity by 330%.

Some Essential Live Streaming Stats

1. Almost a quarter of all US online users aged 16-64 started watching live videos in the first month of lockdowns.

Looking at live streaming figures from eMarketer, Internet users in the US have been relying on media much more since the pandemic started. Just under 40% (39%) have been watching broadcast TV and digital videos on YouTube and TikTok. Other popular media those surveyed consumed more are streaming films (38%), digital press (30%), music streaming (30%) video games (25%), live streams (24%), radio (23%), books (20%), and podcasts (13%).

(eMarketer)

2. Approximately 54% of live streamers post content about esports and gaming.

According to streaming statistics, 17% of streamers focus on music/sport/entertainment, while 6% stream live daily events. Just under 10% meanwhile stream business content, while the remaining 14% of those making live videos are uncategorized.

(Findstack)

3. 80% of people would rather watch a live stream than read a blog from a brand.

Video content and streaming are categories consumers accept the most, no wonder many content marketing agencies include them in their strategies. As many as 82% of people would watch live streaming rather than visit a company’s social media pages, live video streaming usage statistics indicate.

(LiveStream)

4. Breaking news accounts for more than half of the most viewed live stream content.

Or 56%, to be precise. The second place for the most-watched live streaming content is shared by conferences/speakers and concerts/festivals, with 43%.

(PR Daily)

5. Over two-thirds of viewers rate quality as the most important factor in live broadcasting.

As many as 67% of people who watch live stream broadcasts see quality as the most important factor. Then, 90% rate quality as the most important factor for Facebook Live Videos.

(PR Daily)

Statistics about Live Streaming Audience

6. Approximately 55% of Twitter live viewers are under the age of 25.

Half of the people who watch live video streaming on Twitter are younger generations. For comparison, in 2017 alone this platform managed to deliver 800 hours of live streaming premium content across 450 events, reaching a total audience of 45 million unique visitors. That brings us to the figure of around 24 million young people watching live streaming on this platform.

(Twitter)

7. Nearly half of all Twitch users are between 18 and 34 years old.

The Twitch audience is predominantly young. According to the online video streaming statistics, this platform boasts a large base of 18-34-year-olds. Besides, around 21% of its audience falls into the category of those 13-17 years old. The platform’s users generally hail from 230 different countries.

(Twitch)

8. In 2020, 232 million people in the US watched downloaded or streaming videos on all devices.

Despite the fact that Americans watch streaming videos on all devices, users who watch them on mobile did so for an average of 16 minutes a day. On the other hand, on the desktop, people watched videos for an average of seven minutes a day. This statistic speaks in favor of mobiles when it comes to the future of live streaming.

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

9. More than half of live streamers aged under 24 do it as a hobby.

As many as 53% of live streamers aged 24 or younger stream as a hobby, live streaming statistics show. Then, 24% of the 25-to-44 crowd and 29% of those aged 45 and higher do it to promote their personal brand.

(Findstack)

Live Streaming Industry Statistics

10. The global video streaming market is set to reach $223.98 billion by 2028.

While the latest report by Grand View Research covers all forms of streaming, it also indicates that the growth of live streaming will mark the highest growth during the reported period. Researchers identified technological advancement as one of the main drivers of this growth. The adoption of cloud-based streaming solutions, along with AI and blockchain technology is set to fuel video streaming growth going forward.

(Grand View Research)

11. COVID-19 affected the plans for video marketing for around 40% of marketers.

Coronavirus brought about the perfect opportunity for many marketers in terms of video reach. As many as 74% of marketers confirmed that the pandemic made them more likely to use video format. Live streaming business statistics further show that 28% of video marketers plan to incorporate Facebook Live into their video marketing strategy.

(Wyzowl)

12. China’s live-streaming industry has hit 425 million viewers.

For Chinese youngsters, becoming a live stream host is a popular career path. With so many live stream sites, 60% of the surveyed 5,000 hosts were the post-90s generation. On top of that 78.8% are female. One-fifth of them meanwhile make over $1,500 per month. However, due to the strong competition, most spend a significant portion of that on self-improvement.

(CX Tech)

Stats on the Most Popular Live Streaming Platforms

13. Twitch made it to the 84th rank on Alexa’s list of the most popular web pages.

Esports are most popular among younger age groups who turn to websites like YouTube Gaming, Mirrativ, Hitbox, or Twitch. Live streaming websites statistics show that Amazon-owned Twitch has 2.1 million unique streamers per month, making it one of the most popular live streaming apps. It allows gamers to interact with a worldwide audience in real time, often using special software for streaming Twitch and YouTube.

(SI)

14. Over 2.5 million people are watching Twitch right now.

One of the best live streaming platforms in terms of gaming content is Twitch. Besides the live stream viewers watching content on it every day, over half a million creators share their lives each day. Then, every month seven million unique streamers go live on it.

(Twitch)

15. The ‘Just Chatting’ category on Twitch has the most viewers on the platform or 277,951 at any given time.

While Twitch is primarily used by gamers, the most-watched Twitch stream is ‘Just Chatting’, with 277,951 users at any moment. It makes it much more popular than its most famous game, League of Legends, which has on average 218,394 viewers at any time, streaming stats show.

(Influencer Marketing Hub)

16. Over 2.8 million peak concurrent viewers watched Andrea Bocelli’s Easter Sunday 2020 concert on YouTube.

During the peak of the first lockdown, Andrea Bocelli held a live streaming concert on Easter Sunday, via YouTube. The amount of viewership it got made it not just the most-watched YouTube live stream for classical music, but also one of the biggest music live-stream performances ever. According to the event’s live streaming stats, it broke all records in YouTube’s history in terms of musical live-stream performances. On a similar note, 2019 Coachella marked one of the biggest music live- streams as well, having accumulated over 82.9 million views. It, however, took place over three days and involved multiple artists.

(Variety)

17. 70% of users name YouTube Live as their favorite video platform.

YouTube is one of the most popular live video streaming sites in the US, but also around the globe. In a survey when users were asked to select their favorite streaming platform, 70% said YouTube Live. Roughly 66% of users prefer Facebook Live, and 45% prefer Livestream.

(Livestream)

Social Media Live Streaming

18. Over 348 million viewers of La Liga in India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the Maldives can only watch games via Facebook live-streaming.

La Liga is a common term used for the first Spanish soccer division. Facebook’s latest move was to invest in sports streaming by signing a deal with La Liga, so users in this region will be going live on Facebook to watch soccer matches. Live streaming facts indicate that this was an excellent strategy. Although this content is free, the platform compensates by using targeted advertising.

(BBC)

19. Twitter sees a 14% increase in unique visitors during live events.

Live video on social media is getting more popular year by year. Namely, between 2019 and 2020, Twitter saw a 34% increase in watch time. On top of that, this platform registered 19% more time spent on it across three major US events, unlike its competitors, namely, the Super Bowl, the Oscars, and NFL Draft. Similarly, video views for brands and media on Twitter increased by 67% from Q1 2019 to Q4 2020.

(Twitter)

20. Since its launch, the term ‘Facebook Live Stream’ has increased in popularity by 330%.

Originally, Facebook’s live video streaming began with top celebrities in August 2015. Afterward, the company rolled it out for everyone. According to live streaming statistics, since then the popularity of the term ‘Facebook live stream’ has skyrocketed and is especially high around notable events such as New Year’s Eve.

(MediaKix)

21. Users watch live content on Facebook three times longer and comment 10 times more.

Viewers tend to watch live videos on Facebook a great deal more, even though the social network stopped paying live stream deals. The reason behind this decision is Facebook’s plan to encourage publishers to create longer, premium video content.

(Business Insider)

Live Streaming Trends

22. Cisco predicts that 82% of IP traffic by 2022 will be video.

The global pandemic is underpinning that growth, including for online live streaming. At the peak of 2020’s lockdown, mobile networks experienced a significant strain of additional data traffic, pressured by work-from-home scenarios. AT&T had a 22% core network rise and 30% wireless voice minutes. Both T-Mobile and Sprint saw a hotspot usage surge of 60% while tethering was up 57% at T-Mobile and 70% for Sprint.

(Streaming Media)

23. The Instagram Live feature’s popularity increased by 70% in April 2020.

During the peak of the first lockdown and the number of people having to stay at home, Instagram Live went through spectacular growth. Now, about 17% of marketers include it in their content strategies, live video streaming statistics indicate.

(Dacast)

24. The global esports market is estimated to generate over $1.6 billion by 2023.

Many live event broadcasters are working on improving their live event offerings. For example, by 2021, many were expected to include some sort of ‘gamification’ in their video offers, adding interactive elements to the overall media experience. The global esports market followed this trend and replaced physical sports during lockdowns with video games simulations, live streaming sports statistics show. For example, NBA Phoenix Suns simulated a game against Dallas Mavericks on NBA 2K, streaming it on Twitch.

(Streaming Media)

The Bottom Line

Live streaming is a growing industry and is here to stay, aided by the global pandemic and advent of technologies. So, if your business is looking to connect to the audience, it’s something to consider in your marketing strategy. Live streaming statistics show that big companies have already recognized this medium’s potential for conversion and by implication, ROI.