Live video streaming continues to gain adoption worldwide, with consumers viewing more content more often from an increasingly diverse array of sources and devices, according to a global survey of consumer live video streaming preferences by ad organization the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
Nearly half (47 percent) of consumers worldwide who watch live streaming video said they’re viewing more of this content today than they were a year ago, according to the IAB survey. In total, more than two-thirds (67 percent) said they’ve streamed live video content, and 70 percent of those viewers said they now engage in the activity at least twice a day.
Smartphones are now the most frequently-used device to live stream video content, cited by 62 percent of respondents, followed by smart TVs.
There’s little question that all this streaming activity is coming at a cost to traditional TV consumption. Nearly half (44 percent) of consumers said they now watch less live TV as a result of the new streaming options available to them.
 Which of the following sources do you live stream video content from? |
Where are consumers watching this content? More than half (52 percent) of viewers said their preferred source of live video is found on social platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, compared to digital streaming subscription like Hulu or Netflix (41 percent), a TV network website or app (34 percent), a gaming site or app (33 percent) or a pay-TV service provider (21 percent).
The U.S. appears to buck the trend somewhat in this regard. American viewers appear more likely to watch live video through a digital streaming subscription service than their worldwide counterparts (43 percent versus 41 percent). Globally, viewers are more likely to stream live video by other means (social platforms, a TV network site or app, a gaming site or a pay-TV service provider).
When it comes to the factors influencing users’ streaming video source of choice, 45 percent said quality content makes that determination, followed by the speed of an available Internet connection (38 percent) and whether that service is free or requires a subscription (35 percent).
More than half of consumers who stream live video content (52 percent) said they prefer free, ad-supported live streaming as opposed to subscription or à la carte services. About a third of respondents said they now pay for TV or subscription video services.
Respondents said TV shows are the most preferred type of content to stream, followed by sports, tutorials, gaming and news.
IAB’s “Live Video Streaming: A Global Perspective” survey was conducted in May by mobile market research company OnDevice Research in 21 markets around the world.
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