How Livestreaming Is Reshaping Digital Marketing in Real Time

Livestreaming has broken into mainstream culture. Twitch viewership in 2024 accumulated to a staggering 20.35 billion hours [Source]. Meanwhile, Kick.com, a fast-growing live-streaming platform, secured naming rights for a 2024 Formula One team (Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber) [Source]. Solidifying their presences in multiple industries, livestreaming platforms are showing they are here to stay.

And the numbers don’t lie. Live streams are taking our attention, with audiences spending about 24.4 minutes on a live video (27% longer than on-demand content). Overall, 44% of live-streaming viewers say they now watch less traditional TV, and 105.3 million Americans streamed live sports in 2024 (up 30.8% year-over-year), underscoring how live video is reshaping media consumption [Source].

What is Livestreaming?

Livestreaming is the real-time broadcast of audio and/or video content over the internet, allowing an audience to watch and interact as events happen. In practice, this means a brand or creator can host a live Q&A, product demo or event that viewers join in synchrony, often engaging via chat or virtual reactions.

This immediacy and interactivity are powerful for marketing, with U.S. livestream e-commerce sales forecasted to reach about $50 billion in 2023, highlighting the channel’s scale and growth even as it remains relatively new to many marketers [Source].

Livestreaming in E-Commerce and Tiktok Shop

Livestreaming and ecommerce are becoming increasingly intertwined, with real-time video proving to be a powerful sales driver, especially on mobile-first platforms. In the U.S., livestream commerce still represents a relatively small share of total ecommerce sales (around 5%), but the model is growing fast thanks to platforms like TikTok, which are reshaping consumer habits [Source].

TikTok Shop serves as a prime example: in February 2024, it accounted for more than 68% of U.S. social shopping gross merchandise value, and its monthly sales surpassed $1 billion by mid-year. Perhaps more telling, over 81% of TikTok Shop’s buyers in February were repeat customers, showing strong consumer engagement and trust [Source]. While livestream shopping originated and exploded in China, where it now makes up roughly 60% of ecommerce, the U.S. market is catching on.

As viewers become more comfortable with purchasing during live events, and as platforms streamline in-app checkout experiences, livestreaming is becoming less of a novelty and more of a core strategy for online retail.

What Does This Mean for Digital Marketers?

For digital marketers, livestreaming represents both an opportunity and a challenge: the format demands more agility and authenticity than traditional video, but the potential for engagement and direct conversion is far greater. Here’s how the landscape is shifting:

Greater engagement per session

Live content holds viewers’ attention longer. On average, live videos are watched for 24.4 minutes, which is 27% longer than pre-recorded video [Source]. This offers marketers a better shot at deeper brand storytelling and message retention.

Social-first strategy

Over half (52%) of live-stream viewers watch through social media platforms [Source]. That means marketers must prioritize native tools like Instagram Live, TikTok Live, and Facebook Live to meet consumers where they already are.

Direct sales channel

U.S. livestream shopping is projected to surpass $50 billion in sales, and nearly 1 in 5 Americans has made a purchase during a livestream [Source]. Marketers should consider live content a viable part of the conversion funnel, not just a branding exercise.

What Does This Mean for Brands?

For brands, the rise of livestreaming calls for a shift in strategy, one that embraces real-time interaction, platform-native content, and new forms of measurement. Forward-thinking brands are already making these moves:

Target Gen Z and Millennials

Younger consumers are leading the charge. TikTok saw a 650% increase in GMV from its shop feature in 2024, and 47.2 million Americans made purchases on the platform, primarily Gen Z and Millennials [Source].

Emphasize authenticity and community

Trust is key to retention. With over 81% of TikTok Shop’s sales coming from repeat customers, it's clear that brands that foster genuine, unscripted interaction during live sessions are seeing stronger results.

New ROI models

Livestreaming merges content and commerce. Brands like Nike have seen 317 million views from single live campaigns. This means success can be measured not just in views, but in conversions, shares, and repeat engagement.

Learn from global leaders

While the U.S. is still ramping up, China’s livestream commerce already exceeds $900 billion annually. Adopting tactics from international markets, like product drops, timed deals, and charismatic hosts, can help U.S. brands scale faster and smarter.

Our Thoughts

Livestreaming has swiftly moved from niche to mainstream, fundamentally reshaping how brands engage audiences in real time. The data show it’s not a passing fad – live content commands longer watch times and drives real sales, especially among younger consumers.

For digital marketers and brand leaders, embracing this interactive format opens doors to deeper engagement, immediate revenue, and richer customer insights. As livestreaming’s cultural footprint expands (from gaming streams to global shopping events), those who innovate with authenticity and strategic creativity will lead the next wave of marketing.

SO, WHERE DO YOU FIND THIS PARTNER?

Well, aren’t we glad you asked! We at DigiCom are obsessive data-driven marketers pulling from multi-disciplinary strategies to unlock scale. We buy media across all platforms and placements and provide creative solutions alongside content creation, and conversion rate optimizations. We pride ourselves on your successes and will stop at nothing to help you grow.

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