2016

the year of livestreaming

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159

countries with
active customers

active customers

events

Every day, millions of people around the world use live video to capture and broadcast ideas, stories, and events that matter most to them. In 2016, livestreaming transitioned from nice-to-have to necessity. Below is a look back and a glance ahead: what happened on our platform throughout the year and across the world, and what influencers and experts think is coming next.

top streams

By Country

United States
+ 7244 Active Customers

7244 Active Customers

Berry College Nest Cam 1

most watched stream | 10,949,461 Views

Canada
+ 410 Active Customers

410 Active Customers

2016 Scottsdale

most watched stream | 212,956 Views

Guatemala
+ 3 Active Customers

3 Active Customers

Prense Libre

most watched stream | 2,293,448 Views

United Kingdom
+ 256 Active Customers

256 Active Customers

IWA Debate - The EU: In or Out?

most watched stream | 89,630 Views

Australia
+ 196 Active Customers

196 Active Customers

Aajtak Live TV

most watched stream | 5,878,810 Views

Mexico
+ 196 Active Customers

196 Active Customers

YoorTV

most watched stream | 2,237,763 Views

Brazil
+ 169 Active Customers

169 Active Customers

InfoMoneyTV

most watched stream | 64,574,142 Views

Italy
+ 100 Active Customers

100 Active Customers

Radio Radio TV Live

most watched stream | 1,690,667 Views

Germany
+ 78 Active Customers

78 Active Customers

MEHR 2016 Livestream deutsch

most watched stream

Colombia
+ 72 Active Customers

72 Active Customers

Canal RCN

most watched stream | 11,937,523 Views

Norway
+ 67 Active Customers

67 Active Customers

Tata Chess Tournament

most watched stream | 2,094,886 Views

Switzerland
+ 59 Active Customers

59 Active Customers

SPORTAL HD 24/7

most watched stream | 6,453,595 Views

New Zealand
+ 54 Active Customers

54 Active Customers

Demon Energy D1NZ Drifting: Round 6, Pukekohe 2016

most watched stream

Spain
+ 50 Active Customers

50 Active Customers

Onda Cádiz TV emisión en directo

most watched stream

France
+ 41 Active Customers

41 Active Customers

Onda Cádiz TV emisión en directo

most watched stream

Puerto Rico
+ 38 Active Customers

38 Active Customers

AMEC TV Live

most watched stream | 257,117 Views

South Africa
+ 36 Active Customers

36 Active Customers

CRC LIVE SERVICES

most watched stream | 1,394,146 Views

Belgium
+ 35 Active Customers

35 Active Customers

Tata Steel Chess Tournament

most watched stream | 2,094,886 Views

Argentina
+ 34 Active Customers

34 Active Customers

BoliviaTV en VIVO

most watched stream | 7,051,475 Views

Singapore
+ 34 Active Customers

34 Active Customers

Tata Steel Chess Tournament

most watched stream | 2,094,886 Views

Sweden
+ 33 Active Customers

33 Active Customers

Universal Somali TV

most watched stream | 2,592,594 Views

Netherlands
+ 33 Active Customers

33 Active Customers

Tata Steel Chess Tournament

most watched stream | 2,094,886 Views

India
+ 33 Active Customers

33 Active Customers

Aajtak Live TV

most watched stream | 5,878,810 Views

Chile
+ 30 Active Customers

30 Active Customers

rovalhd

most watched stream

Peru
+ 30 Active Customers

30 Active Customers

rovalhd

most watched stream

Finland
+ 27 Active Customers

27 Active Customers

Mozart Cup 2016

most watched stream

Denmark
+ 25 Active Customers

25 Active Customers

888sport.dk DM i indefodbold 2015/2016

most watched stream | 28,718 Views

Dominican Republic
+ 22 Active Customers

22 Active Customers

Serie del Caribe 2016 - Canal Santo Domingo

most watched stream | 2,336,680 Views

Poland
+ 20 Active Customers

20 Active Customers

Sanktuarium Bożego Miłosierdzia - Kraków Łagiewniki

most watched stream | 816,672 Views

Portugal
+ 20 Active Customers

20 Active Customers

TV Gazeta - Ao Vivo

most watched stream | 8,935,475 Views

Japan
+ 18 Active Customers

18 Active Customers

g6-hhhs

most watched stream

Hong Kong
+ 18 Active Customers

18 Active Customers

直播節目

most watched stream | 3,339,719 Views

Austria
+ 17 Active Customers

17 Active Customers

Kleine Zeitung Live

most watched stream | 5,111,434 Views

Ecuador
+ 16 Active Customers

16 Active Customers

Fuerza Aramilla vs Barcelons SC

most watched stream | 118,082 Views

Russian Federation
+ 16 Active Customers

16 Active Customers

BM TV PROXY

most watched stream

United Arab Emirates
+ 15 Active Customers

15 Active Customers

Aajtak Live TV

most watched stream | 5,878,810 Views

Nigeria
+ 13 Active Customers

13 Active Customers

JANUARY 2016 - HOLY GHOST

most watched stream | 37,751 Views

Israel
+ 13 Active Customers

13 Active Customers

שידורים חיים משובה ישראל

most watched stream | 55,858 Views

Malaysia
+ 12 Active Customers

12 Active Customers

ENGKU AHMAD FADZIL & DR MOHAMAD ROZAIMI

most watched stream | 35,615 Views

Turkey
+ 12 Active Customers

12 Active Customers

iddaa Rakipbul Ligi

most watched stream | 47,097 Views

Panama
+ 12 Active Customers

12 Active Customers

Centro Internacional Maranatha Panamá

most watched stream | 543,006 Views

Greece
+ 11 Active Customers

11 Active Customers

enikos.gr Live

most watched stream | 643,349 Views

Ireland
+ 11 Active Customers

11 Active Customers

Tata Steel Chess Tournament

most watched stream | 2,094,886 Views

Costa Rica
+ 11 Active Customers

11 Active Customers

ExtraTV-Alta

most watched stream | 2,001,226 Views

Republic of Korea
+ 10 Active Customers

10 Active Customers

Korea Gathering 2016

most watched stream | 172,599 Views

Romania
+ 10 Active Customers

10 Active Customers

Onda Cádiz Televisión

most watched stream

Ghana
+ 4 Active Customers

4 Active Customers

AhenfieTV

most watched stream | 657,170 Views

Ukraine
+ 4 Active Customers

4 Active Customers

BM TV PROXY

most watched stream

Armenia
+ 3 Active Customers

3 Active Customers

ՊԱՇՏԱՄՈւՆՔ

most watched stream | 179,892 Views

Morocco
+ 3 Active Customers

3 Active Customers

Almagharibia TV

most watched stream | 3,083,602 Views

Kazakhstan
+ 2 Active Customers

2 Active Customers

"ДОМ ВЕРЫ" Христианская интернет-община

most watched stream | 546,732 Views

election 2016

Event Timeline

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January

Political Unrest

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January

space travel

Event Timeline

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January

pop culture

Event Timeline

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January

tech

Event Timeline

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fashion

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sports

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thought leaders

Event Timeline

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January

in the news

Livestream made headlines in 2016.

new at livestream

We spent 2016 making Livestream even better with new features and important updates. We released an Open API, In-Video Donations, 4K Hardware, and much more. Keep scrolling to discover how we’ve improved our platform and products.

hello, mevo

In January, we debuted the Mevo camera at CES, revolutionizing the world of live video and putting the power of a multi-camera shoot in your pocket.

#shotbymevo

Mevo traveled around the world, capturing everything from Bob Ross Painting Competitions to the XGames.

best of the blog

The Stream became a destination for everything live video.

the future of live video

2016 was "the year of live video." What comes next? We asked leaders and innovators in technology, marketing, and media what trends will shape 2017.

I think live video is so popular because this is really the first time people have had access to it in a real way on mobile. The idea of live isn't new — look at live TV broadcasts — but the accessibility is key. One billion people use Facebook on a daily basis, and now a large portion of them can go live at a moment's notice, and share what they're seeing. And what you see is what you get. It's raw. It's real.

Sam Sheffer

Creative Producer

Mashable

Having the ability to feel like you are there with people, together, watching as something happens and engaging with them is its own experience. Live video lets the viewers make sense of what's happening for themselves while engaging with an audience — it's the ultimate form of engagement.

Brian Tong

Host/Editor

CNET

Livestreaming represents the bridge between 'traditional' media and social platforms — we call it social broadcasting, making everyone with a mobile device an in-the-moment reporter. Livestreaming is NOW; unique, interactive, attention-grabbing, newsworthy, and tailor made for a #FOMO generation. We believe as more people discover livestreaming, they'll gravitate towards content that interests them, which is why Roker Media is creating actual programming that people will want to watch and interact with.

Al Roker

Weatherman and Entertainer

Roker Media

Live is not a new format, but as a new construct it is fundamentally different. Powered by social media, Live has the potential to reach more people on more devices faster than ever before.

Toby Daniels

Founder

Social Media Week

Live video is so popular because it is the closest medium to real life that we have right now. Take everything that's addictive about real-time social and add moving sound and color – bada bing! Is it any wonder consumers love it?

Will McInnes

CMO

Brandwatch

People are attracted to stories, and those stories are most successful when they come directly from the mouths of other humans. Live video is a phenomenal medium for engagement because of the rawness, immediacy and authenticity of it – that ability to get face-to-face with another person and follow their story in real-time.

Kathryn Minshew

Co-founder

The Muse

What's often missed in all the headlines about shifting viewership behavior is that good old TV is still dominant in terms of video viewing hours – even as we all spend more and more time watching clips and extended content on multiple platforms. Live programming has been a mainstay of TV for decades, so it's probably no surprise it's becoming so popular on digital platforms. But like on TV, live video in the digital space needs a reason to be live – or you might as well spend time in an edit suite polishing-up your content. So in the year ahead, I would imagine content makers will continue to hone their strategies to ensure that when they go live, they are live for a good reason.

Walter Levitt

CMO

Comedy Central

Brands that nail live video will be those that figure out the type of content that works well live versus just going live. The future will be actual events that are designed to be interactive and make the most of the medium. Live must offer people exclusive moments in time to interact with your brand. Watching live must be more compelling than watching on demand.

Sherna Lee

Marketing Director

Mojo Marketing and Media

I think the single biggest change in live video in the last year has been the users' recent acceptance of autoplay in their feeds. Once again, publishers can thank Facebook for brute forcing things on users that they always said they didn't want. I think the second most important trend is readable videos – because there's way more tolerance for autoplay without the sound blaring out at you.

Sarah Lacy

Founder and Editor-in-Chief

Pando

Download PDF

What’s next for
live video in 2017?

Download the PDF to learn:

  • What the future holds for live video from Livestream Founders and CEO.
  • Brand new data on how consumers are engaging with live video.
  • How leaders in technology and media are thinking about live video in 2017.