Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. We review these products after doing a lot of research, we check all features and recommend the best products only.
Are you looking for an innovative way to engage with potential customers?
If that is the case, you must adopt new content marketing techniques by giving up the old-school methods. And that very new technique is live streaming.
Believe it or not, worldwide internet users spent an estimated 482.5 billion hourson mobile live-streaming apps in 2020. Besides, you cannot find a channel like live-streaming that engages with caring followers quickly and lets them connect with your brand more closely.
So, there is an excellent future for streaming content, but to be a famous influencer who produces top-notch live streaming content, you have to stay updated with the stats of the present time.
This guide will provide 50+ live streaming statistics and reports helping you authenticate your brand on social media.
What is Live Streaming?
Live streaming technology is all about delivering video to your audience without any filter in real-time, more like a live TV with an internet-connected device like a smartphone, tablet, or pc.
Though live video streaming was common among the audience, this streaming content skyrocketed after the lockdown in 2020.
Furthermore, 91% of business streamers intend to continue streaming after COVID-19. They do so because the internet is crowded, and getting customers’ attention is quite challenging.
But livestreaming can easily pass over other average social media posts from Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Benefits of Live Streaming?
Live streaming is best for customer attention as it is real-time content with zero filters. It, being so, lets the audience trust you or your brand without a doubt.
When it comes to getting customer's attention, nothing can be perfect like social media as
Out of 5 billion internet users, 4.65 billion people are active social media users. (Source: Statista)
93% of regular internet users have social media accounts. (Source: Hootsuite)
So, the benefits of using live streaming on social media:
Real-Time Communication: In a live stream, you can have real-time communication with your viewers. You can do it in real-time with your physical presence rather than replying to your viewers after a time gap. Hence, it increases customer engagement.
Honest Product Review: Displaying a product or presenting an event becomes more authentic. Viewers can use a chat box to ask doubts, and you can clear customers' doubts live.
Easy to start: Live streaming on any social media platform is just a piece of cake. You just need a smartphone, tab, or PC to get started.
CTA: As this channel increases engagement with your customer, you can get your audience to take action at the end of live streaming. You can direct your viewers to join your newsletter or provide a coupon code with your affiliate link.
You can get many benefits from live streaming as a small business owner.
Let’s head to the statistics, trends, reports, and facts about live streaming in 2024.
General Live Streaming Statistics and Trends in 2024
This point will explain the global audience, streaming usage, creators, and platforms.
Live streaming is more exciting and engaging than pre-recorded videos or text content on social media.
Live streaming is very economical, and it needs only a device like a smartphone tab or Pc to get started.
You don't need any paid software or tools to start live streaming; you can implement social media accounts:
Twitter Live
YouTube Live
Facebook Live and
Instagram Live.
It usually takes just one click.
As live streaming is all about unfiltered content, your subscribers get a message: you and your brand are genuine.
Live streaming content is extremely reusable, unlike other content, as you can make a summary video out of it and post it on your website or blog, create a YouTube short or a story for Instagram or WhatsApp.
In 2021, global internet users spent nearly 548 billion hours streaming via mobile phones.
Forbes reports that year over year, the YOY growth rate of the live streaming sector is 99% in 2020.
Also, the industry saw a growth of 45% during the same period.
This growth rate of the live streaming industry is letting digital marketers and small businesses take advantage and make capital out of it.
Several social media sites, influenced by China's eCommerce live streaming growth, started including a live streaming shopping tool.
Compared to other countries, China implements live-streaming most for eCommerce. For example, in 2021, Taobao, a Chinese online shopping platform, collected $74 billion in transaction value.
The length of total watch time of live stream by month in 2021 is 338,000hours.
Live streaming makes up 23% of the overall watch time in the world.
41% of internet users have seen a live stream around the world.
The average length of live streams grew by 30% in 2021.
From 2021 to 2022, Online streams for the e-learning industry increased by 120%.
Around 60% of American youth first use online streaming to watch TV.
The Live Streaming industry is expanding like an evergreen sector with billions of dollars.
The Live Streaming industry was worth 70.05 billion dollars in 2021. It is enormous growth, worth 30.29 billion dollars in 2016.
The video streaming industry’s market revenue is projected to reach 184.27 billion by 2027.
The income of the video streaming (SVoD) sector in the United States is expected to touch 36.52 billion dollars in 2022.
Live content generates over 27% more viewing minutes than on-demand or prerecorded videos.
Grand View Research reports that the live streaming sector will grow more rapidly due to artificial intelligence, cloud-based video streaming solutions, and blockchain technology. It is projected to reach 223.98 billion dollars by 2028.
Subscription-based video is on-demand in the market.
In 2011 the market revenue for subscription videos was 1.6 billion US dollars.
In 2019 the total market revenue was 15.9 billion US dollars.
The superior video subscription service is Netflix, the number one on-demand streaming service.
(Source: Conviva, Grand View Research, Research, and Market)
Live Streaming and Social Media Platforms
The significant benefit of live streaming is real-time communication with the viewers; you can reach a larger audience and grow tons of followers simultaneously.
Now, when it comes to living streaming on social media, you can generate more followers than typical image or text-based posts.
Let's read the reports on social media live streaming.
General Statistics of Social Media Live Streaming
According to Statista, 57% of US Millennials and Gen Z users in the 12 to 34 age group used Facebook in 2021, and 70% used Instagram.
The biggest group of audience and creators for live streaming content comes from millennials. 63% of millennials watch live streaming daily; also, they are the live streaming creator.
67% of users report that video quality is a crucial factor while watching a live stream.
2 billion people use YouTube actively every month, and it is the largest platform for video streaming.
Gaming, music, corporations, religion, and every type of live streaming are on YouTube.
In 2022, users have watched more than 1.1 billion hours of game streaming on YouTube.
YouTube is the most popular platform for gaming live streams.
60% of the top 100 YouTube live streams have occurred within the last two years.
Users watch more than 1 billion hours of live streaming on YouTube.
30% of active YouTube users watch no less than one live stream weekly.
4 million people subscribed to YouTube Live TV.
8% of markets use YouTube live streaming for marketing and targeting the audience.
SpaceX had the most simultaneous views on a YouTube live stream across the globe, with more than 4 million viewers.
Apple had the most number of views on YouTube live streaming, with more than 2.7 million views in the USA.
(Source: Global Overview Report, Fierce Video)
Facebook Live Streaming Statistics
Users have watched 803 million hours of Facebook live streaming in 2022.
In 2022, people did live streaming on Facebook for more than 12 million hours.
The most common social media platform for live streaming videos is Facebook live.
Facebook has paid more than 50 million dollars to creators and celebrities for using Facebook Live.
1 out of 5 videos on Facebook is a live stream video.
78% of all internet users watch Facebook live videos.
There are more than 300K special channels for streaming on Facebook.
On average, 372K people watched Facebook Live in 2022.
Games on Facebook recorded a 210% increase in streaming hours from 2018 to 2019.
(Source: MedaKix, The Wall Street Journal, Social Media Today, Streamlabs,
Twitch Live Streaming Statistics
Twitch is the biggest platform for live streaming, with more than 9.3 billion hours of streams watched in 2019.
Twitch users watched more than 6.13 billion hours of live streaming in 2022, more than YouTube and half of Facebook.
In QR 2021, people watched 5.7 billion hours on Twitch, a 7.5% increase in 2022.
Twitch live stream creator streamed 229 million hours in 2022.
Twitch has observed its first increase in hours since the second quarter of 2021.
Twitch accounts for 76% of hours of the whole gaming market, compared to Facebook gaming and YouTube gaming.
Compared to last year, viewing hours decreased by 3.3%, compared to 6.34 billion hours in Q1 2021.
In Q1 2021, Twitch had 10.9 million unique live streaming channels.
On a year-over-year basis, unique channels on the platform were down 12.8% compared to 12.5 million in Q1 2021.
(Source: Streamlabs, StreamElements)
TikTok Live Streaming Statistics
TikTok is not only for teenagers, but also the younger generations use it regularly.
In Q2 of 2020, nearly 26% of users watch TikTok live streams.
46% of TikTok users who watch live streams belong to the age group of 16 to 24.
47% of TikTok live users are single and unmarried.
The percentage of student live users of TikTok is 20%.
( Source: Digital Information World, GlobalWebIndex, GlobalWebIndex)
Twitter Live Streaming Statistics
Half of twitter's live video consumers are aged 25.
Twitter gets more unique visitors, up to 14%, during a live event.
When a live event occurred on Twitter from 2019 to 2020, brands and media publishers in the USA got many views. And the amount is 67%.
Twitter hosted 1,300 live events, 80% broadcast to international viewers.
(Source: Twitter Marketing, Twitter, Adweek)
Snapchat Live Streaming Statistics
Snapchat is mainly known for live stories also for live streams.
15% of Snapchat users watch live streaming on this platform.
Six out of ten adults outside of China viewed a video or live feed on social media platforms, including Snapchat.
Only 2% of marketers use Snapchat Live for marketing.
(Source: Social Media Examiner)
Instagram Live Stream Statistics
13% out of all social media viewers use Instagram Live Streaming.
A GWI Social Video Report 2019 indicates that 26% of live video viewers are interested in Facebook, while 13% choose Twitter and Instagram.
(Source: GWI Social Video Report 2019)
Statistics of Live Streaming and Gaming Industry
Game industries are always evergreen. As a creator, you will never run out of money.
Live streaming provides the most significant benefit in gaming, as every audience wants to see how pro gamers are playing. Also, it is fun as the audience connects to the streamer's live and comments in real-time.
ESports gaming accounts for 54% of live streaming content.
Gaming professionals make the most-watched streaming content.
On Twitch, League of Legends was the most favorite video game live stream in 2019.
Some other popular games on Twitch are:
Fortnite
Grand Theft Auto
Dota 2
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
World of Warcraft
Apex Legends
Overwatch and Hearthstone
In 2020 ESports revenue was $947.1 million.
ESports revenue was $1.084 billion in 2021, with a year-on-year growth of 14.5%.
In 2021, global live stream viewers in gameplay were 728.8 million, a 10% growth from 2020.
Gameplay on YouTube hit a record in 2020. According to The Verge, YouTube got doubled its audience since 2018.
According to YouTube, it has over 40 million active gaming channels.
(Source: Stream Elements, Newzoo, The Verge)
Statistic of Live Streaming Audience
The audience is the critical point in live streaming.
52% of viewers want free and ad-supported live streaming.
According to the live streaming reports in 2019, internet users watched approx 1.5 million years’ worth of live streams.
Live video content represents 13.2% of the worldwide internet traffic by the end of 2021.
80% of viewers love watching live videos from a verified creator like a brand rather than reading a blog.
82% of viewers favor live stream videos rather than reading social media posts and text.
Viewers watch live streaming 10 to 20 times longer compared to on-demand.
More than half, 67% of viewers that saw a live broadcasting video, bought a ticket for a similar event the next time it occurred.
(Source: Forrester)
Statistics of Live Streaming and Social Demographic
Let's understand the age category and social behavior of the audience.
63% of people in the 18 and 34 age groups watch live streaming.
Youngsters aged around 24 or under are fond of gaming content.
Those users who are above 45 years old watch video streaming to consume entertainment.
During the Pandemic, most of the customers couldn't purchase anything physically. Therefore, they went shoppingonline. According to entrepreneurs and businesses, live streaming helped influence customers' buying decisions.
(Source: Restream, KrAsia)
Statistics of Live Streaming Content
Let's learn what type of category in live streaming is popular.
Breaking news is one of the most trendy live streaming content across social media platforms.
Breaking news single-handedly makes up 30% of the audience.
By 2024, live video game streaming will reach 920 million viewers.
62% of American users have subscription-based content.
And the percentage of non-subscription-based users is decreasing.
Sports events are the most popular live-streaming content in the USA than any other entertainment, with an 86% most-watched live streaming rate.
Live video content has a higher engagement rate. As per the survey, 80% of internet users prefer watching live videos rather than blog posts.
Another fantastic fact is that 82% of people choose live streaming video over a brand's social media posts.
Not only big Businesses but small businesses like fitness experts or educators are implementing live streaming to grow their audience reach.
Since March 2020, after the pandemic, live streaming content ranks 7th just after video games.
The 2021 Olympics performed very well on live streaming platforms compared to traditional TV channels.
According to a Los Angeles Times report, the streaming platform that hosted the Olympics hit a record with 746,000 viewers.
eMarketer reports: Since the coronavirus pandemic, broadcast TV ranks as the number one form of media in the USA at 39% of respondents.
Digital videos, e.g., TikTok, and YouTube, rank first with broadcast TV at 39% of respondents.
The faith and Spiritual industry saw 300% growth in a year. (Uscreen internal data)
(Source: Vorhaus, Newzoo, Infogram, eMarketer, Los Angeles Times)
Statistics of Live Streaming and Businesses
Businesses improved their sales through live streaming content.
Live Streaming Statistics reports that live video streaming can be a great strategy to establish brand credibility and get potential customers from the market.
Reports also state video content can increase the year-on-year growth of business revenue by 49% faster.
Using standard video and live streaming video content, brands reach more audiences, do branding properly, and boost brand value in the market.
Live videos on social media are more potent than pre-uploaded. It creates 10X more engagement.
Psychology says we value those things that we learn before other fellow beings. And while streaming, viewers can learn live and immediate. That makes users curious and engaged.
Businesses not only use social media platforms for live streaming. For example, some fitness platforms like Peloton, iFit offer a Live Streaming class.
Live streaming directly boosts eCommercesales. As live streams provide exciting and live information about products and let the customers connect with online sellers via chat features and reaction emojis, it increases the buying tendency of consumers.
According to a survey in 2020, two-thirds of Chinese customers purchased products after watching live streaming.
In 2020 Alibaba generated a total transaction value of 7.5 billion dollars in the first 30 minutes of the Singles' Day event.
Bloomingdale’s, an American department store, hosted more than 50 live streaming events during the pandemic. And they felt streaming is the best way to connect with consumers at home.
Live streaming in Singapore's eCommerce industry is massive. Reports say by the end of 2020, the growth rate of conversions is 1890% in online shopping related to gamification and live streaming since March 2020.
(Source: McKinsey, Wyzowl, Business Insider, Forbes, Clum Creative, CNBC, WARC)
Statistics of Live Streaming and Brands
Brands also sensed that video streaming is going to be the future in the content marketing field.
Several branded social media sites and big companies like Walmart started developing and adding features and tools for live stream shopping.
For example, Facebook added a tool to live stream shopping. In addition, Walmart cooperated with TikTok to offer their products via streaming.
Amazon also launched a platform called Amazon Live to offer shoppable items and let brands create their programming.
According to McKinsey, China's live commerce touched 171 billion dollars in value in 2020.
(Source: Fortune, McKinsey)
Statistics of Live Streaming and Marketing
Let's see how marketers use live streaming to target customers.
1 out of 3 digital marketers implements live streaming video as a strategy for marketing.
35% of markets use Live streaming videos to improve their branding and target audiences.
Facebook live videos are a must-have content marketing strategy for 32% of marketers at present.
94% of video marketers report video content makes anything easy to learn. As a result, customers understand every description or comparison of a product or service.
86% of video marketers State that video content helped to boost website traffic.
And 78% share, by using video as content improved direct sales.
(Source: Wyzowl)
Live Streaming after Lockdown
Above half of the students, 52% of the USA elementary and high school students, had to attend classes using digital platforms during the pandemic. In addition, they took live classes for learning.
24% of American consumers who are 16 to 64 age groups watched live streaming during the pandemic. And the ranking of live streaming content in the USA is 7th.
During the Pandemic, In June 2020, 309 million Chinese internet users watched eCommerce's live streaming sales event with a 16.7% growth rate to March 2020.
(Source: KrAsia)
Statistics of Live Streaming and Countries
During the COVID-19 pandemic, 48% of American adults online were subscribers to one or more streaming services by June 2020.
According to 27% of U.S. and U.K. Internet users, they want more DJ sets live-streamed.
As of May 2020, 62%of American consumers subscribed to some streaming service.
The USA had 222.8 million digital video viewers in 2018. And it is expected to be 248.9 million viewers by the end of 2022.
According to the report of Statista, Netflix has 74.58 million USA paid streaming subscribers in the first quarter of 2022. Also, it is projected to grow year after year.
And the global paid subscribers of Netflix are 221.64 million as of the first quarter of 2022.
Up to 42% of USA users prefer watching live video streams to stay connected with their friends and family.
The most revenue-generating country is the United States in the video streaming sector, with a record of $36.52 billion in 2022.
(Source: Statista, GWI coronavirus Research)
To Conclude
You probably have heard that video is the king among all content types. But to be more specific, live streaming makes video content the most impactful.
In this article, you provided a to z statistics about live streaming. We have mentioned all the popular live streaming social media platforms and how businesses and brands implement streaming content for their growth.
So, scan all those trends and facts to make the most of live streaming content. So that's it. I hope this guide will help you. Comment below if you have any questions.
Jitendra Vaswani is a leading authority in digital marketing, known for his vast expertise and impactful contributions to the industry. As an international speaker, he has shared insights on stages worldwide. He is the founder of Digiexe.com, a digital marketing agency & Bytegain.com, a tool for SEO copywriting and local SEO. With his strategic acquisition of AffiliateBooster, Jitendra solidifies his position as a leader in the digital marketing industry. He is set to revolutionize affiliate marketing by providing advanced solutions that drive sales and performance. His best-selling book, "Inside A Hustler’s Brain: In Pursuit of Financial Freedom," has sold over 20,000 copies globally, showcasing his expertise and influence. Jitendra continues to inspire and empower digital marketers and entrepreneurs worldwide, establishing new benchmarks for success in the industry.