Want to learn live streaming statistics this year? You're in the right place. Live streaming has become a huge part of how we watch, learn, and connect online.
From gamers on Twitch to brands hosting live events on YouTube or Instagram, more people are tuning in than ever before. I’ve been paying close attention to this trend myself—it's amazing how fast things are growing.
Whether you're a content creator, a marketer, or just curious, knowing the latest numbers can really help.
Let’s look at the stats that show just how big live streaming is getting.
What is Live Streaming?
Live streaming is a way to share video with your audience instantly, just like live TV—but through the internet using a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
While live video was already popular, it really took off after the 2020 lockdown. More people started watching and creating live content than ever before.
In fact, 91% of businesses that used live streaming during the pandemic plan to keep using it. Why? Because the internet is packed with content, it’s tough to stand out.
But live streaming makes it easier. It grabs attention more effectively than regular posts on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
What are the benefits of Live Streaming
Live streaming is great for catching your customer’s attention because it’s live and unfiltered. This real-time content helps people trust you or your brand more easily.
When it comes to reaching people, social media is hard to beat.
Out of 5 billion internet users, 4.65 billion use social media. (Source: Statista)
And 93% of internet users have a social media account. (Source: Hootsuite)
Here’s why live streaming on social media is so useful:
- Talk in Real Time: You can chat with your viewers instantly while you’re live, instead of replying later. This keeps people more engaged.
- Show Real Products: Showing a product live or hosting an event looks more honest and real. Viewers can ask questions in the chat, and you can answer them right away.
- Easy to Do: Going live on platforms like Facebook or Instagram is super simple. All you need is a phone, tablet, or computer.
- Get People to Act: Live streams get more attention, so it’s a great time to ask viewers to sign up for your newsletter or share a discount code.
If you run a small business, live streaming can help a lot.
Now, let’s check out the latest live streaming stats, trends, and facts in 2025.
General Live-Streaming Statistics and Trends in 2025
Live streaming continues to captivate audiences worldwide, offering real-time engagement and authenticity. Here's an updated overview of the global audience, streaming usage, creators, and platforms:
Global Audience and Streaming Usage
- Mobile Streaming Growth: In 2023, users spent approximately 550 billion hours watching live streaming content on mobile apps, highlighting the surge in mobile content consumption.
- Live Streaming Market Expansion: The global live streaming market grew from $1.24 billion in 2022 to $1.49 billion in 2023, with projections estimating it will reach $3.21 billion by 2027.
- E-Learning Integration: The e-learning market was valued at $399.3 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14% between 2023 and 2032, reflecting the increasing adoption of live streaming in education.
Creators and Platforms
- Platform Popularity: YouTube emerged as the leading platform for live-streamed content in 2023, with over 8.1 billion hours watched, underscoring its dominance in the live streaming arena.
- Content Engagement: Live content generates 27% more minutes of watch time per viewing than on-demand video, indicating higher viewer engagement levels.
- Youth Engagement: In the U.S., children aged 2-11 increased their TV time by 16.3% in June 2023 compared to May, with 62% of this increase attributed to streaming platforms, reflecting a shift towards digital content consumption among younger audiences
The continuous growth of live streaming offers ample opportunities for digital marketers and small businesses to connect authentically with their audiences.
Leveraging platforms like YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and Twitter Live can enhance brand visibility and engagement.
Additionally, repurposing live content into summaries, shorts, or stories for various platforms can maximize content reach and longevity.
(Source: Wistia, Staples, Forbes, Uscreen, Conviva, Adobe)
Statistics of Live Streaming Market Revenue
- In 2025, the global live streaming market is projected to reach $2.11 billion, up from $1.76 billion in 2024, showing a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.7%.
- In the United States, the live streaming industry generated $18.54 billion in 2023 and is forecasted to grow to $65.14 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 19.7% from 2024 to 2030.
- The global games live streaming market is expected to reach $15.32 billion in 2025, while the U.S. share of this market will be around $2.65 billion.
- The Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) market is projected to hit $119.09 billion globally by 2025.
- In the U.S., the SVoD segment is expected to generate approximately $47.89 billion in revenue by 2025, driven by growing consumer demand for on-demand content.
- The global TV & video market, which includes live and on-demand streaming, is estimated to reach $728.21 billion in 2025, with a steady CAGR of 3.12% through 2029.
- The rapid growth of live streaming is fueled by innovations in AI, cloud infrastructure, and blockchain, all enhancing content delivery, monetization, and user engagement.
- Additionally, live video continues to outperform pre-recorded content, with viewers spending 27% more time watching live streams on average.
(Source: Conviva, Grand View Research, Research and Markets, Statista)
Live Streaming and Social Media Platforms
One of the biggest advantages of live streaming is the ability to connect with your audience in real time, allowing you to engage more deeply and expand your reach instantly. It offers a powerful way to grow your follower base quickly and effectively.
When it comes to going live on social media platforms, live video tends to attract more followers compared to traditional posts that rely on images or text alone.
Let’s take a closer look at the latest reports on live streaming across social media.
General Statistics of Social Media Live Streaming
- As of 2025, Millennials and Gen Z continue to dominate the social media landscape, with Gen Z making up around 25% of all social media users in the U.S., and Millennials closely following in terms of active engagement across platforms.
- Around 28.5% of global internet users now watch live streaming content on a weekly basis, highlighting the rising popularity of live video over static content formats.
- Millennials remain the largest group of both viewers and creators in the live streaming space. A growing number of them stream content regularly, making them a key demographic for marketers and platforms.
- According to recent insights, 67% of users say that video quality is one of the most important factors when watching a live stream, making it essential for creators to invest in stable and high-quality video setups to keep their audiences engaged.
(Source: Statista, FYI, Twitter Marketing, Livestream, DemandSage )
YouTube Live Streaming Statistics
- 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
- In 2025, Facebook Live remains one of the most widely used platforms for live video streaming, especially among brands, creators, and public figures looking to engage audiences in real time.
- Around 1 in every 5 videos on Facebook is now a live stream, showing how strongly the platform leans toward interactive, real-time content.
- Facebook Live videos continue to outperform standard video posts in terms of interaction, generating up to 3x more engagement from viewers.
- User comments are particularly high during live broadcasts, with live streams receiving 10 times more comments than regular video uploads.
- More than 75% of all Facebook video views come from mobile users, which means most people are tuning into live streams through smartphones and tablets.
- Over 80% of internet users say they prefer watching a brand's live video over reading a blog or social post, making Facebook Live a powerful marketing tool.
- Facebook has invested significantly in its live streaming ecosystem, previously paying over $50 million to influencers, celebrities, and media outlets to boost live content on the platform.
- In past years, users watched hundreds of millions of hours of Facebook Live content annually, and that number continues to grow steadily in 2025.
- Gaming streams on Facebook have also surged in popularity, recording a steady rise in viewership since 2018, with ongoing growth through 2024 and 2025.
- Currently, 30% of marketers use Facebook Live as part of their content strategy, due to its reach, interactivity, and ease of use.
(Source: MedaKix, The Wall Street Journal, Social Media Today, Blogging Wizard )
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
- In 2025, TikTok continues to be a dominant force in live streaming, with over 100 million users engaging with live content, and 46 million users going live for the first time in 2024.
- Around 36.2% of TikTok’s global user base is aged between 18 and 24, reflecting the platform’s continued popularity among Gen Z and young millennials.
- In the United States alone, approximately 43 million monthly users fall within the 18 to 34 age range, making it one of the most active demographics for live streaming content.
- TikTok's gender split remains nearly even, with 52% male and 48% female users, showing a balanced appeal across audiences.
- Globally, 28.5% of internet users reported watching live streaming videos weekly in late 2023, with TikTok being one of the leading platforms in this trend.
- The platform has seen notable increases in creator adoption, with more users turning to TikTok Live for real-time engagement, influencer marketing, and e-commerce opportunities.
(Sources: Digital Information World, GlobalWebIndex, Statista, MastermindBehavior, RootNote)
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 the Live Streaming and Gaming Industry
- The gaming industry continues to grow steadily, offering ongoing opportunities for creators to earn and engage large audiences.
- Live streaming enhances the gaming experience by allowing viewers to watch pro players in real time and interact through live chat and comments.
- eSports accounts for 54% of all live-streamed video content, making it one of the most dominant niches in the live streaming world.
- Popular live-streamed games on Twitch include:
- League of Legends
- Fortnite
- Grand Theft Auto
- Dota 2
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
- World of Warcraft
- Apex Legends
- Overwatch
- Hearthstone
- In 2021, eSports generated $1.084 billion in revenue, showing a 14.5% year-over-year growth from 2020’s $947.1 million.
- The global number of live gameplay viewers reached 728.8 million in 2021, reflecting a 10% growth compared to the previous year.
- YouTube’s gaming audience has doubled since 2018, and the platform now supports 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 shopping online. 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)
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.