Live streaming has become the dominant form of entertainment for most people. Data cited by DemandSage showed that globally, the total number of live-streaming hours was up to 7.6 billion in the third quarter of 2023. Additional data from Restream Blog shows that 92% of internet users watch digital videos weekly, while 27% watch live streams. This represents a 21% increase in global streaming activity in recent years. In Canada, Statista graphs show that almost 17 people watch video streams regularly.
Streams Will Only Flow with New Innovations
Analysts from DemandSage estimate that live streaming alone will be a $259 billion industry by 2029. This sharp rise in streaming activity has resulted in a wave of innovations and, in turn, demand for more resources. The BT Group announced in December 2023 that it’s planning to roll out new technology in 2024 to help customers in the UK enjoy a better streaming experience. The innovation, called Multicast-Assisted Unicast Delivery (MAUD), is an upgrade on the current unicast system. As it stands, content from a single live stream is transferred to customers via IP networks.
MAUD adds to this by combining multiple streams into one shared package. According to a BT spokesperson, this system eliminates the need to “select and serve millions of individual streams.” Similar innovations are likely to be implemented in the US, Canada, and other countries around the world as the demand for streaming content increases.
Part of the reason for creating new delivery systems, other than to improve speed and efficiency, is infrastructure. The hardware that allows streamers to stream and people to watch takes up a lot of space. By finding ways to integrate streams and bundle them into a single package, companies like BT are aiming to better manage the resources they use.
The Demand for Real-Time Content Continues to Rise
So, how have we gotten to a point where streaming services are so popular that new technology is required to keep things flowing? Entertainment is the main reason. More and more of what we watch comes via a streaming platform, be it live or pre-recorded. One of the largest live-streaming platforms is Twitch. Statistics from DemandSage show that 30 million people use the site on a daily basis, with monthly peaks hitting 140 million users. ZipDo reported in early 2024 that the average person now watches, on average, 11 minutes and 24 seconds of live content on YouTube every day.
It’s not just videos we’re watching. Live streams have become increasingly popular in the casino industry, too. Today, players can play games at a digital casino site via their computer or mobile. Webcams give players a real-time view of games such as Travel Fever While RFID sensors track the results to ensure fair play. The result is an immersive experience that combines the best bits of in-person and online casino gaming.
Beyond gaming and other forms of entertainment, there are meetings, conferences, and remote working. Live streams have become an integral part of the business world over the last five years through platforms like BoxCast and Zoom. The applications for live streaming will only increase as the technology improves. This means the need to refine existing processes and develop new ones is greater than ever. We live in a streaming world where the waters run deep. However, if service providers fail to move with the times, they risk losing their success in the streaming era.
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