Live Streaming Market Size, Share, Forecast, & Trends Analysis by Component (Software, Services), Offering Model (B2B, B2C), Streaming Type (Audio, Video, Game), End User (Media, Education, Gaming, Government, Fitness) - Global Forecast to 2031

Live Streaming Market Size & Forecast

The Live Streaming Market is expected to reach $756.5 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 20.9% from 2024 to 2031. The growth of this market can be attributed to several factors, including the surging popularity of esports and video games, growing preference for live-streamed content, and increasing smartphone adoption and internet penetration. Additionally, the increasing focus on network bandwidth optimization and the rising scope of live-streaming technologies are expected to create market growth opportunities. However, connectivity and production issues may restrain the growth of this market. However, fake traffic on live-streaming websites poses a major challenge for the players operating in this market.

Additionally, the incorporation of advanced technologies in the digital media industry is a key trend in the live-streaming market.

Live Streaming Market Growth Drivers

Surging Popularity of Esports and Video Games

With the surging viewership of live game streams globally, live streaming platforms are setting a new benchmark in the content creation space. Business models in the gaming industry have evolved in tandem with improvements in hardware, processing power, bandwidth, and internet penetration, making high-quality games more accessible in smart devices. Live game streaming involves recording and broadcasting gaming content to a live audience through social platforms. The increasing number of gamers, growth in cloud gaming, and rising investments in gaming and esports are expected to boost the demand for live game streams, driving the market’s growth. For instance, in 2021, Kwalee (U.K.), a game developer, announced investments worth approximately USD 30 million over the next five years to expand the company’s presence in the Indian market. Also, Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang province, announced plans to construct around 14 esports facilities before 2022, investing nearly USD 2.22 billion. Such investments in the gaming space are further expected to drive the market’s growth.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, government restrictions and nationwide lockdowns boosted user engagement in video games and esports. The increased time spent in isolation during the pandemic boosted consumer interest in streaming games worldwide, drawing the attention of major media companies. According to Newzoo (Netherlands), between 2019 and 2020, the number of people watching live game streams increased by approximately 11.7% globally, indicating a positive outlook for the overall market in the post-COVID-19 period.

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Growing Preference for Live-Streamed Content

Digital media platforms introduced the live streaming concept to strengthen their bond with viewers. Live streaming technology helps brands get exposure, offers direct engagement & strong sales conversions, and enables hosting live conversations in real time. Unlike traditional media, live streaming offers immediate engagement and authenticity that allows viewers to participate actively in the content they consume. Audiences are drawn to the dynamic nature of live broadcasts, which can range from gaming sessions and virtual events to live Q&A sessions and behind-the-scenes glimpses. Also, live streaming facilitates a sense of community among viewers, fostering connections and conversations in real time. Brands are leveraging live streaming to reach audiences directly, building relationships, and driving conversions through interactive marketing initiatives. All such factors, along with the growing accessibility of live-streaming platforms and the rise of influential content creators, further drive the growth of the market during the forecast period.

Live Streaming Market Trends

Incorporation of Advanced Technologies in the Digital Media Industry

The digital media industry is exploring new ways to adapt to the evolving digital landscape. Digitalization of the media industry has been driven by changing consumer expectations and behaviors, the increased adoption of mobile devices, high internet penetration, and enterprises’ need to reach more customers. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, content consumption has grown remarkably, driving companies to opt for online marketing channels. The incorporation of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, IoT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 5G, is improving consumer experiences and the efficiency of live streaming platforms.

AI technology is used to convert low-resolution content to high-resolution content, enables intelligent data automation, content indexing, content-aware encoding, advanced security, and analytics, and prevents copyright infringement. 5G technology is also expected to be crucial in delivering live content through streaming platforms. 5G infrastructure has significantly enhanced live streaming performance by decreasing end-to-end latency, improving cellular coverage, and allowing higher bandwidths, high internet speeds, and ubiquitous connectivity. According to Streaming Media, 5G cell networks are expected to provide speeds approximately 100x faster than 4G LTE networks. Cloud computing technology allows for low-latency content streaming, provides real-time streaming on a large scale, offers real-time visibility into bandwidth consumption, enables a wide range of security options, and includes CDN token authorization and geo-blocking. Such benefits have encouraged the adoption of advanced technologies in the digital media industry to an extent where it has become a prominent trend in the live-streaming market.

Live Streaming Market Opportunity

Increasing Focus on Network Bandwidth Optimization

With regards to live streaming operations, bandwidth can be defined as the maximum capacity, whereas network speed refers to the speed at which data is transferred. A finely tuned and well-functioning network is vital for business operations. Hence, the demand for network resource optimization is on the rise. Companies are focused on optimizing network bandwidth to improve network performance and reliability and reduce bandwidth expenses and response times. By optimizing bandwidth usage, businesses can minimize latency, reduce buffering, and maintain consistent streaming quality even during peak usage periods. This optimization also improves user experience and enables more efficient use of network resources, thereby leading to lower operational costs and improved scalability.

Hence, as live streaming continues to grow in popularity across various industries, including entertainment, education, and e-commerce, there is a corresponding need to invest in network infrastructure that can support the bandwidth-intensive demands of real-time video content delivery. These factors, along with the growing need to deliver seamless and reliable live streaming experiences and maintain consistent streaming quality during peak usage periods, are further creating growth opportunities for players to cater to the evolving needs of businesses and content creators.

Live Streaming Market Analysis: Key Findings

By Component: In 2024, The Services Segment to Dominate the Live Streaming Market

Based on component, the global live streaming market is broadly segmented into services and software/solutions. The services segment is further segmented into video production and content creation services, subscription services, and advertisement. In 2024, the services segment is expected to account for a larger share of above 93.5% of the live streaming market. The large market share of this segment can be attributed to the growing demand for new installation and integration of live-streaming platforms, the need for professional post-production support, upgradation, and maintenance to help deliver content based on client specifications and provide a personalized experience to viewers, surging demand for customer support, content creation services, and subscription services. The segment is also projected to witness a higher growth rate during the forecast period of 2024–2031.

By Offering: In 2024, The Business-To-Consumer (B2C) Segment to Dominate the Live Streaming Market

Based on offering, the global live streaming market is broadly segmented into business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C). In 2024, the business-to-consumer (B2C) segment is expected to account for a larger share of above 91.5% of the live streaming market. The large market share of this segment can be attributed to the growing need to transmit live content on the internet for better brand engagement and reach, the growing adoption of smart devices, and faster internet penetration. In addition, the rising integration of live-streaming platforms by retail and media & entertainment sectors, alongside the increasing prominence of social media and e-commerce platforms, are further contributing to the fastest growth of the overall market in the region. The segment is also projected to witness a higher growth rate during the forecast period of 2024–2031.

By Streaming Type: In 2024, The Video Streaming Segment to Dominate the Live Streaming Market

Based on streaming type, the global live streaming market is broadly segmented into audio streaming, video streaming, and game streaming. In 2024, the video streaming segment is expected to account for the largest share of above 65.4% of the live streaming market. The large market share of this segment can be attributed to the changing online data consumption and surfing behavior of consumers, the growing use of new applications to attract new customers for branding and marketing by influencers, the growing adoption of cloud-based solutions to increase the reach of live video content, and growing popularity of social media platforms and other digital mediums.

However, the game streaming segment is projected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period of 2024–2031. This growth is driven by the proliferation of smartphones with high processing power, the continuous rise in popularity of esports and gaming content consumption among audiences worldwide, the integration of social features within game streaming platforms, and increasing demand for interactive and real-time gaming experiences.

By End User: In 2024, The Media & Entertainment Segment to Dominate the Live Streaming Market

Based on end user, the global live streaming market is broadly segmented into media & entertainment, enterprises, education institutes, sports & gaming industry, government agencies, fitness clubs, religious organizations, and other end users. In 2024, the media & entertainment segment is expected to account for the largest share of above 36.0% of the live streaming market. The large market share of this segment can be attributed to the growing popularity of online live video streaming in the media & entertainment industry, increasing preference for on-demand and live streaming services by consumers worldwide, the emergence of new content formats such as web series, podcasts, and live events, and use of advance technologies including artificial intelligence for increasing the reach of video content, improve video quality and provide security. The segment is also projected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period of 2024–2031.

Geographical Analysis

In 2024, Asia-Pacific Region to Dominate the Live Streaming Market

In 2024, Asia-Pacific is expected to account for the largest share of above 38.1% of the global live streaming market. Asia-Pacific's live streaming market is estimated to be worth $76.3 billion in 2024. The large share of this regional market is attributed to the rising focus on digitalization with technological advancement, including cloud computing, AI, the surging adoption of live-streaming platforms for better brand engagement and customer reach, increasing availability of affordable internet access and expanding 4G and 5G networks across the region, growing esports and gaming culture, and expanding e-commerce ecosystem in countries including China where live shopping is a prominent retail strategy. The region is also projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Live Streaming Market: Key Companies

The report offers a competitive analysis based on an extensive assessment of the leading players’ product portfolios, geographic presence, and key growth strategies adopted in the last three to four years. Some of the key players operating in the live streaming market are Flux Broadcast (U.K.), Facebook Inc. (Instagram) (U.S.), Dacast (U.S.), Twitch Interactive, Inc. (U.S.), IBM Corporation (U.S.), Huya Inc. (China), Stream Hatchet SLU (Spain), Empire Video Productions, LLC (Florida), Afreecatv Corp. (South Korea), Streamshark (Australia), Dailymotion (France), Vimeo, Inc. (U.S.), Tiktok (U.S.), EventStreaming.TV (WaveFX Ltd.) (U.K.), Pluto Inc. (U.S.), Boxcast (U.S.), VosCast (U.S.), Uplynk (U.S.), and Wowza (U.S.).

Live Streaming Industry Overview: Latest Developments from Key Industry Players

• In April 2024, Gotonomi (U.K.) partnered with Videosoft Global Ltd (U.K.) to simplify live streaming over satellite for UAV operators by integrating satcom and ultra-low bandwidth video streaming solutions.
• In April 2024, Enveu (India) announced a strategic partnership with LayerCake Pty. Ltd. (Australia) to advance live streaming technology and deliver cost-effective streaming solutions.
• In March 2024, Bitmovin, Inc. (U.S.) partnered with Yospace Technologies Ltd (U.S.) to deliver a joint solution for live streaming and empower broadcasters to offer better ad solutions to brands and advertisers.
• In November 2023, Brightcove Inc. (U.S.) announced an expanded partnership with Socialive (U.S.) to provide customers with additional remote video production features and improve live video content operations for internal communications.
• In 2021, Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook) (U.S.) launched a range of new audio-only products and podcasts called Live Audio Rooms for Android and desktop featuring public figures and creators for global consumers.
• In 2021, CDNetworks (South Korea) launched Cloud Live, a new live-streaming solution with multiple anti-hotlinking and watermarking functions to protect content and ensure the secure publishing of streams.

Live Streaming Market Research Summary:

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