23+ Vital Live Video Statistics for 2020

In today’s world, everyone is just a click away from going live on video and becoming an online celebrity. Live streaming lets people connect with their audience and create a relationship like no other. More or less, it is the reinvited live television of the 21st century.

That’s why we compiled some essential live video statistics, underscoring the marketing potential of streaming, particularly in terms of creating brand awareness. So, read on to learn all about live videos and how you can incorporate them into your digital strategy.

• The daily watch time for Facebook Live videos has increased by four times
• 80% of brand followers would rather watch a video than read an article from the brand
• More than 60% of users think that quality is the main factor for a live stream video
• Social media live videos generate ten times more engagement than regular videos
• The live streaming industry is on track for more than $70 billion in revenue by 2021

As many as 42% of the people in the US choose video live streaming as a way to engage with their friends online. They have plenty of options too, with pretty much every social platform nowadays offering the service.

(Source: LiveStream)

Millennials and Generation Z’ers are the biggest live stream audience, as suggested by live video streaming usage statistics. That is hardly surprising given that those generations have grown up in the age of online communication. They also love interacting with the creators of live videos, follow them on different social media, and even consider streamers celebrities. 

(Source: Neil Patel)

The audience of live streaming videos has doubled in just a year, as suggested by IAB’s live video viewership statistics from June 2018. Those stats further indicated that more than 70 percent of users who streamed did so at least once per day.  

(Source: IAB)

Over the years, social media has evolved and brought live streaming on the table. More than half of the audience of live streaming comes from social media. The video streaming option has attracted big news companies like CNN, CBS, and FOX to stream their news on social media more often than usual. Live video statistics further indicate that commercial brands like Sony, Apple, and others use social media streaming as a way to announce new features and products and generate more buzz online. 

(Source: eMarketer)

YouTube Live video has grown over the years. Elon Musk, Beyonce and the latest British royal wedding have brought millions of live viewers to YouTube. SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy launch generated more than 2.3 million viewers on YouTube Live. Second came in the Royal Wedding stream where more than 10 million viewers tuned in to watch Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tie the knot. Live music video streaming statistics meanwhile show that the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival had more than 82 million live views in 2019. Pretty impressive live audience, right? 

(Source: ThinkWithGoogle)

The microblogging platform’s users engaged in more than 1,300 live-streamed events over the course of a single year. And there’s more — the official Twitter live video stats further indicate that there are nearly three times more live streams than the previous year. Slowly but surely, the platform is increasing its role as a major player in the live video streaming industry.

(Source: Twitter)

In 2020, more than 80% of the internet will be videos and live streams. We remember the days when the internet was mostly informative articles and images. But from 2020, we play by new rules. We will watch more videos than engage with articles.

(Source: Go-Globe)

Fidji Simo, the woman in charge of Facebook Video, said that 20% of all videos on the social platform are streamed live, while the watch time of streams has increased four times in just one year. 

The main reason behind the increase seen in these Facebook live video stats comes from the changes they made with the platform. Users now can experience more social, fun, and engaging content from creators. With the addition of live masks and excellent creative effects, publishers have better control and freedom over their broadcasts.

(Source: Facebook)

In the period from the start until the 15 minutes mark, the engagement of streamed videos on the social network increases exponentially, according to Facebook stats from live video. After that mark, the viewer count stabilizes and remains the same until the end of the video. This happens since not everyone receives live broadcasts notifications. Even though Facebook states there is no such delay, users have reported it on many occasions.

(Source: BuzzSumo)

Facebook Live is the #1 live video streaming platform in the US, with 17% of the market share. Social media live video statistics further show that YouTube Live came in close in second place with 16%. After that comes Snapchat with 12%, followed by Periscope with 9%, Meerkat with 17% and Twitter with 12%.

(Source: Go-Globe)

Streamed videos generate six times more comments than uploaded videos. We think that the main reason behind this is the new experiences that live videos bring to the user. Users now can express their excitement, opinions and criticism, and discuss it all with the creator or other users.

(Source: Facebook)

Video games have become part of our global culture. They are reshaping the world as we know it. Twitch is a platform where players usually stream playing the most popular games in the industry. Also, many of them make money, a lot of it. Gaming streamers benefit from affiliate links, selling merchandise, sponsors, and donations. The Influencer Marketing Hub’s video game live streaming facts say the top 10 Twitch streamers make more $20 million annually

(Source: IMH)

Eleague TV is the only stream that has an average of more than 1 million viewers. We are talking about a stream that shows the biggest Esports competitions of games like Rocket League, Overwatch, Street Fighter and others.

(Source: TwitchStats)

Twitch live streaming statistics show that Just Chatting generated 1,284,030 hours of stream time from 198.276 streamers. In this category, the average viewers’ count is the highest with 115.798 per stream.

(Source: SullyGnome)

Fortnite has been streamed by streamers for more than 4 million hours. The game has more than 58,978,750 hours of watch time and peak viewers average of 942,880, according to live video streaming viewing statistics. On average there are more 81,914 viewers in this category.

(Source: SullyGnome)

To make money on Twitch, you must become an affiliate and partner. Becoming an Affiliate on Twitch requires the following conditions: 50 followers and 500 minutes of streamed content in 7 unique days monthly. Becoming a partner requires a little more effort. You will need to stream at least 25 hours in 12 unique days per month and have 75 viewers on average.

(Source: WalletHacks)

Four out of 5 people prefer to watch a live video than read an article from a brand. People often say that they can’t be bothered to read online because they don’t have the time or just feel tired. Instead, they relax watching videos and don’t get exhausted as much. 

(Source: LiveStream)

Premium streaming is nothing new. Pay per view events existed on television way before they were adopted for online viewing. Whether that live stream video would be from their favorite team, inspirational speaker or even their favorite brand, statistics on live video show that people are willing to spend money. 

(Source: InPlayer)

In content creation, quality is the most important factor and live stream videos are no exception to this particular rule. It’s no wonder then that just over two thirds (67%) of users will stay with the steam if it produces quality content, as statistics of live stream video suggest. We’ve seen over the years how some good streamers went from good quality content to boring and uninspiring one.

(Source: Go-Globe)

Compared to businesses that don’t use video, organizations that incorporate this particular medium into their marketing strategy are poised to see year-on-year revenue growth 49% faster. This is one of the most important stats of live video and sales marketing, especially for SMEs that are looking to boost their market share. Through videos and live streams, companies engage with the customers directly which helps establish and boost brand credibility. 

(Source: HubSpot)

It is a psychological fact that there is a bigger chance for the user to react on a live video than to an uploaded one because the former is happening right now which makes it more relevant. It is in our nature to be more curious and to value information that we learn before others.

(Source: Business Insider)

The live streaming industry is expected to enter its own Golden Age in 2021, as suggested by live streaming video statistics. Undoubtedly, this will attract even more attention from bigger companies that will invest more money in advertising and sponsorship. We are pretty excited because this is likely to result in better quality content from streamers.

(Source: PrestoSports)

In terms of current and future strategies, live video Instagram facts and trends indicate that digital marketers will push more for video content on the platform, including its streaming function. Additionally, B2B marketers said that they will focus more on newsfeed videos, while B2C marketers will use Instagram Stories more.

(Source: Mondo Creative & Digital Trends)

Streaming is not part of the future, it is already here and is set to reshape the strategies of digital marketers. The live video statistics we presented suggest that every time you develop a new product or service and want to show to the public, it’s better to do it through a video live stream. You will not only connect with current and future users, but you will present yourself as a modern business that listens to its customers and values their feedback.

Sources: Influencer Marketing Hub, Neil Patel, IAB, eMarketer, ThinkWithGoogle, Twitter, Go-Globe, Facebook, BuzzSumo, Facebook, IMH, TwitchStats, SullyGnome, WalletHacks, LiveStream, InPlayer, HubSpot, Business Insider, PrestoSports, Mondo Creative & Digital Trends