Are you fed up with old-school marketing tactics that no longer work well? Are you feeling overwhelmed by the countless ads and social media posts fighting for your audience’s attention? Could you connect directly with your target market in real-time and build a personal connection? That’s where live-streaming video comes in. Live streaming offers an interactive and engaging way to connect with your audience.
Marketers can reach out to the target audience and demonstrate their products in real-time via live videos on social media. But is live streaming the right choice for your brand? What are the latest trends in this fast-changing space? Let’s explore these 20+ vital live-streaming statistics for marketers in 2025 for more insights on how live-streaming can improve your brand image and sales.
Key Live-streaming Stats
General Live Streaming Statistics
1. Most Individuals (80 Out of 100) Would Rather Watch Live Videos From a Company Than Read a Blog Post.
Nowadays, people don’t have the luxury of time to read long articles about a product. They prefer to watch it live, as it’s straightforward to explain and pass on the information. People want information quickly, and watching videos about the product is the solution; 82% of people feel this way.
2. Almost Half of the People Watching Live Videos Are More Active Now Than Last Year.
This increase means that many viewers are more engaged with live video content than before. They are tuning in more frequently and for more extended periods, showing a growing interest in live streaming.
3. More Than Half of People Watch Online Streams on Social Media Platforms, But Only 34% Use TV Network Websites or Apps.
This variety of ways to watch live videos makes them more popular. About half of US internet users watch live streams at least once a week. Additionally, 23% watch live streams at least once a day.
4. More Than Half of People Who Watch Live Streams Would Rather See Ads Than Pay For a Subscription.
Making money from live streaming is dependent on the platform you utilize. On Twitch, for instance, you can offer viewers the option to subscribe to your channel. Subscribers can skip ads and use special chat emoticons. Marketers and brands recognize this medium’s immense power, driving the surge in popularity and demand.
Live-Streaming Demographics Statistics
5. One-third of Individuals Aged 18 – 34 Like to Stream Live Content.
Online live streams have become a popular way for millennials to express themselves. While everyone enjoys watching live content, it’s primarily younger users creating it. This trend highlights a significant shift in interests among the younger generation. They are moving away from traditional pre-recorded videos and written content and embracing the immediacy and excitement of live streaming.
6. 68% of American Adults Say They Occasionally Get News From Social Media.
Social media has become a popular way to share information, from recipes to important news. More than two-thirds of American adults sometimes get news from social media, though 57% expect to find mostly incorrect information.
7. Over 60% of Gen-Y and Gen-Z Consume Sports Content on Mobile Devices.
According to reports, most people still have a cable TV subscription to watch sports. This means that once people can no longer stream all sports events online, they’ll cancel their cable subscriptions. Millennials are using their phones and tablets for everything, including watching sports. Younger people are particularly drawn to extra sports programs, with 60% saying these additional shows are important.
8. 8 Out of 10 Women Consider Themselves Sports Fans and Are Ready to Pay up to 50% Extra for Online Sports Streaming Services.
It turns out that women enjoy sports just as much as men do. Whether they’re drawn to the excitement of the games or simply enjoy watching fit athletes in action, women are hooked on sports. Interestingly, in households with children, the number of people willing to pay extra for online live streaming shoots up to 70%.
Surprising Live Streaming Facts
We all love streaming various content from home, but what do the live streaming numbers from 2022 tell us? Let’s break it down:
9. Twitch Has Become the Leading Live Streaming Platform Globally, With Over 9.3 Billion Hours Watched.
While Twitch holds the top spot for total hours watched, Facebook Gaming saw the highest growth rate between 2018 and 2019, with a staggering 210% increase. Twitch’s growth during the same period was 20%, a minor but significant increase given its overall dominance in viewership. These statistics highlight the evolving landscape of live streaming, where different platforms excel in various ways.
10. In 2020, YouTube Emerged As the Preferred Live-Streaming Platform, with 70% of People Favoring it Over Others.
Although Twitch and Facebook are highly popular for live streaming, a survey showed that most people chose YouTube as their favorite video platform. YouTube might not yet be the top platform for live streaming, but it has great potential, and it will be interesting to see how it evolves in the coming years.
11. Facebook Had 2.5 Billion Active Users Every Month in the Last Quarter of 2019
This makes Facebook the largest live-streaming site in terms of the number of active users. However, when it comes to total hours watched, Twitch took the lead in 2019. Facebook’s live streaming stats confirm its massive user base.
12. Video On Demand (SVOD) Subscriptions will Reach 1.495 Billion by 2026.
The total number of SVOD subscriptions will exceed one billion this year and is expected to grow by 65% from 2020 to 2026. The surge in subscriptions is unsurprising, given the influx of new users during COVID-19.
Breaking News and Live Content Popularity Facts
13. Most People, 56%, watch Live Streams of Breaking News More than any other Type of Live Content.
More than half of the most-watched live content is breaking news. This means that when something significant happens, people prefer to watch it live as it unfolds. It’s the most popular type of live content because it provides immediate and current information that people want to see immediately.
14. Popularity of Live Events.
Speakers, conferences, concerts, and festivals are the second most-watched live content at 43%. Events like speeches, conferences, concerts, and festivals are very popular, and millions of viewers tune in as it feels more real watching it live than later.
15. News Agencies Are Increasingly Streaming News Online to Reach More People.
People turn to the internet to find out what’s happening worldwide. It’s easier to stay updated by searching online, and news agencies are leveraging the trend. News agencies now stream news videos online to ensure their content reaches a larger audience. Whether it’s major political events, new product launches, or essential causes, putting news online helps it spread faster and wider.
16. Americans Favor TV and Online Sources for Local News.
41% of Americans prefer to get their local news from TV, while 37% would rather get it online. Many Americans embrace the cord-cutting trend, ditching traditional cable TV broadcasts. They prefer getting local news online rather than on TV.
17. 87% of People Would Rather Watch Online Than TV If They Could See More Behind-the-Scenes content.
People nowadays don’t just want to watch the main event alone; they want to see what’s happening behind the scenes. It used to be fine for celebrities to record backstage moments and share them online. But now, that’s not enough. Let’s look at MTV’s Video Music Awards as an example. If you’re watching on TV, you’ll have to endure those annoying commercial breaks that pop up after each video. But if you watch it on MTV’s website instead, you can see special interviews with your favorite artists immediately after they win an award while it’s still happening.
18. According to Go-Globe, 45% of Live Video Viewers Are Willing to Pay for Live, Exclusive, or On-Demand Content from their Favorite Team, Speaker, or Performer.
Celebrities and influencers are recognizing the impact of live interactions. These individuals now actively engage in Q&A sessions, online interviews, and live concerts, which will help them connect more with their audience. Also, live streaming generates more engagement than on-demand or TV broadcasts. After watching live content, 51% of those who love it email or text about it while they are still watching it. On the other hand, 43% prefer on-demand, and 41% prefer TV broadcasts.
19. 61% Believe That Live Streaming Video Produces Content That Can be Watched Again Later or Repurposed for Other Uses.
This group views live-streaming videos as creating content that has value beyond the live broadcast itself. This means that this content can be used later for other purposes. For 60% of people, one of the best things about live streaming is getting instant feedback from the audience. It helps them know if they’re doing a good job or need to change something. This real-time feedback is a big plus for them.
20. Six of Every Ten Viewers Will Search Online While Watching a Live Stream.
These individuals love multitasking, looking up stuff on the internet while the stream is happening. This shows that live videos get more people involved. Regarding video-on-demand, only 53% of viewers search online while watching. But, if it’s on TV, even fewer, just 48%, will search.
21. In 2020, 3.8 Million People Were Streaming on Twitch.
According to a recent stat, Twitch. TV is one of the largest live-streaming sites. It attracts over 31 million unique visitors daily, who spend an average of 95 minutes each watching live gaming. As of mid-March 2019, viewers watched a whopping 184 billion minutes of content on Twitch. At its peak, 2,633,655 viewers were watching at the same time. As of 2020, the average number of live channels watched concurrently increased by 55%. With such a massive and engaged audience, Twitch’s live-stream dominance is hard to ignore.
Live Streaming on Social Media Keeps Getting Bigger
Social media live streaming remains a powerful tool for people and businesses aiming to engage and connect with their audience meaningfully. Here are some stats and facts on how the market has been performing.
22. In 2020, LinkedIn Live saw a Whopping 158% Increase Compared to the Year Before.
According to LinkedIn data, live videos received seven times more reactions and attracted 24 times more comments than on-demand videos.
23. In 2020, 20% of Videos on Facebook were live-streamed.
What’s more interesting is that viewers spent three times longer watching these live streams than they did watching pre-recorded videos.
24. In 2020, 70% of Users Favored YouTube Live Over Other Social Media Platforms for Live Broadcasting.
YouTube Live offers a variety of features and functionalities that make it appealing to both content creators and viewers.
25. Back in January 2021, Twitch Reached An All-Time High With 9.89 Million Monthly Active Live Streamers.
After reaching its peak in January 2021, the number of active live streamers on Twitch has been moving around 7 and 9 million each. This shows how many people regularly use Twitch to stream their content to viewers worldwide.
Other Notable Live-Streaming Facts
26. Experts think it will be Worth About $124.6 Billion By 2025.
In 2016, it was valued at $30.29 billion. Fast-forward to today, projections indicate that this sector will reach $124.6 billion by 2025. Live streaming statistics provide invaluable insights into the driving forces behind this remarkable surge. For marketers, live streaming offers many opportunities and is very popular. There are three reasons: it is affordable, works well, and is easy to do.
27. Experts Predict That by the End of 2021, as much as 82% of Internet Traffic Will Be on Live Streams.
Live videos, where people broadcast themselves in real time, are becoming very popular. It could be an influencer sharing tips with their audience or a company introducing a new product to many viewers. Marketers and brands realize that live videos are very effective because they are raw, interactive, and genuine. This makes viewers trust and engage more with video content. Hence, the live-streaming trend is growing and will continue for a long time.
28. Two-thirds of People Who Watched a Livestream Bought a Ticket to a Similar Event When it Happened Again.
Surprisingly, after watching a similar event online, 67% of people bought tickets for the next one. Moreover, 45% of people who watch live videos are willing to pay for exclusive, on-demand content from their favorite teams, speakers, or performers. This data shows that live streaming is a powerful way to attract audiences to your concerts or sports events.
29. In April 2020, Mixer was Another Popular Platform Besides Twitch and Facebook That Enjoyed Massive Usage, Racking Up 37.1 Million Views.
Even though Mixer had the lowest annual growth rate of just 0.2%, it showed significant potential with its impressive view count in April, making it one of the standout live-streaming platforms for 2020.
Conclusion
These live-streaming statistics show how the industry has expanded over the past years. Live streaming has proven to be an important tool for marketers, helping businesses of all sizes connect with their audience. But is live streaming truly worth the hype? Many marketers reported increased sales after a live video stream. Studies show that 90% of potential customers trust product information conveyed through a video. Considering the immense growth trajectory of live streaming, it is projected to reach $124.6 billion by 2025. As more people embrace the live-streaming trend, we expect more advancement.
FAQs
Live streaming can be a great fit for many brands, but it’s important to consider your target audience and marketing goals. It could be a powerful tool for connecting with your audience in real-time and building a more personal connection.
The best platform for your live stream depends on your target audience and the type of content you want to create. Popular options include YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Twitch, and Instagram Live. Consider where your audience spends their time online and choose a platform they already know.
There are endless possibilities for live-stream content. For instance, you could host Q&A sessions, product demos, behind-the-scenes tours, live events, or interviews with industry experts. Focus on creating engaging and valuable content that will resonate with your audience.
You can track several metrics to measure the success of your livestream, such as the number of viewers, engagement rate (comments, likes, shares), and website traffic generated from your livestream.
Many user-friendly platforms offer live streaming options. Start by researching different platforms and choosing one that best suits your needs. Invest in basic equipment like a good microphone and webcam to enhance your stream quality. Finally, plan your content, promote your live event in advance, and be prepared to interact with your audience in real-time.
