Which Types of Live Video Are People Actually Watching?

In 2020, global internet users watched 1.1 billion hours of live video. That equates to 12,557 decades of online content.

And the craziest part? People are probably spending even more time streaming content in 2021.

1. Live streaming is growing fast. One report, for example, shows that “Live video grew by 93%, with an average viewing time of 26.4 minutes per session.” (Streaming Media, 2019)
2. Live videos hold users’ attention 10-20x longer than pre-recorded, on-demand content. (Forrester, 2017)
3. Of all people who report that they watch live streams, 7 out of 10 of them tune in to a live stream daily. (Interactive Advertising Bureau, 2018)
4. The live music event with the highest live viewership was 2019 Coachella at about 82.9 million live views. (Variety, 2020)
5. Video streaming rose 72.4% between Q1 2018 and Q1 2019. (Streaming Media, 2019)
6. The online live-streaming industry has grown 99% between April 2019 and April 2020. (Tech Jury, 2020)
7. The livestreaming industry is expected to be valued at 184.27 billion USD by 2027. (Tech Jury, 2020)
8. Millennials are the largest group of consumers of live content. 63% of people ages 18-34 are watching live-streaming content regularly. (Neil Patel, 2018)
9. Approximately 34% of Generation Z (which were born between 1997 and 2015) have shown a new interest in live streams, especially on social platforms. (GWI Flagship Report 2020)
10. Younger generations (Gen Z and Millennials) spend more time streaming, whereas older people (Boomers and Gen Xers) watch more broadcast TV. (GlobalWebIndex)
11. Professionals anticipate that 82% of internet use will be for streaming video by 2022. (Cisco, 2021)
12. Professionals also anticipate that 79% of mobile users will be for streaming video by 2022. (Cisco, 2021)
13. Access to exclusive coverage is the reason why 26% of viewers tune into live streams. (GWI Consumer Trends Report 2019)

The statistics above are just some of many that show how popular live video is becoming.

And, with any social media or online video trend, marketers are taking notice and learning how to implement it in their own tactics.
If the mounting research about live video has intrigued you, you might be asking more questions about live video in the near future.
Specifically, you might be wondering, “Which types of live content are driving people to tune in?”
To figure out what’s driving the world to watch multiple lifetimes’ worth of content in one year, I decided to conduct a Lucid survey of over 400 consumers to learn which types of content they watch the most.

Which live videos do consumers actually watch?

If you’ve followed live stream trends, you might think content that focuses on entertainment, such as behind-the-scenes content, or video game streaming, might make the top of the list as the most popular type of live content.
However, when I asked consumers, “Which type of live video are you most likely to watch if you see it on one of your social network feeds?”, their answers surprised me.
The top three live videos that people say they’re most likely to click on actually emphasize educational content or allow viewers to learn something new.
In fact, the type of live video consumers are most likely to view is “A Q&A with an influencer, celebrity, or expert in your industry,” which received nearly 30% of the votes.

Below is a quick look at the top four live video types that polled consumers selected:
Data Source
Live video formats that consumers were less interested in were:

• behind-the-scenes video streams,
• theatrical stories with a script or plotline, and
• virtual conferences or events.

These topics received between three and eight percent of the votes.

While the least popular types of live video focus more on gaming and entertainment, the top three formats are informational and can be used by brands to discuss their industry, grow awareness, or highlight a product online.

This article will show you the 3 most common live video formats.