With the World Cup now in full swing—and avid fans live streaming more games this year than ever before—new research reveals that more than two-thirds (67 percent) of consumers globally have streamed live video content and 52 percent of that group prefer free, ad supported live streaming over subscription and a la carte services
According to Live Video Streaming: A Global Perspective, an in-depth report released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), smartphones are the most popular device to live stream video content, followed by smart TVs. The study surveyed consumers from 21 countries around the world—Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Sixty-five percent of those who have live streamed video previously said they will be live streaming World Cup matches predominantly on smartphones, versus 71 percent who anticipate watching live on linear TV. Slightly more than half plan to watch recorded games either online or on television. Sports fans in Brazil, China, Columbia, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. have the strongest likelihood to live stream the matches.
Live streamers remember brands they see in ads
Sixty-four percent of those that have streamed live video have engaged with an ad—such as pre-roll or sponsored ads—while live streaming. Viewers in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates are the most likely to engage with ads. The most common actions taken in response to seeing an ad during a live streaming session were remembering the brand that was advertised, clicking on the ad, and visiting the brands’ website. Ads within live streaming content were most frequently seen on social media platforms, gaming websites, and apps.
“Live streaming is on the rise and this video phenomenon has the power to help build brands,” said Eric John, deputy director of the IAB Digital Video Center of Excellence, in a news release. “The World Cup is just one example of the kind of event that will spark massive live streaming around the world and will attract brands which recognize the potential for effectively reaching audiences in live video environments.”
Read the complete report here.
A 29-question survey was designed and fielded by On Device Research in 21 markets (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States) from April 20, 2018 to May 8, 2018. All respondents were asked the same questions such as (frequency of live streaming across devices, time they spent live streaming, what locations they were in when doing so. They were also asked about their motivations to live stream and their advertising encounters within the live streaming environment. Two hundred adults, age 18+, were interviewed for each market.
