Live From YouTube!

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With more than two billion video views each day, not only is YouTube the second largest search engine, but viewership continues to rise and millions of videos are favorited on a daily basis. With numbers like that, it is no surprise that the demand for live-streamed videos has increased, as people turn to YouTube for more and more of their entertainment and news needs. YouTube has previously hosted select live events, such as concerts, sporting events and speeches from President Obama, and the company recently announced that through YouTube Live, it will “integrate live streaming capabilities and discovery tools directly into the YouTube platform for the first time.”

So what does this mean for companies who are already using YouTube to connect with key audiences? With more live streaming options, companies can now give fans a chance to experience an event or announcement in real time and can share the information with an even broader group of attentive viewers. Consider using YouTube Live to share an executive speech taking place at an important industry tradeshow, the first demonstration of a new product, an interview with a key customer, or provide a first look at a new technology. Live video can be incorporated into any existing video communications plan and gives viewers a new reason to tune into a company’s online channel, especially if the information is being shared for the first time.

According to data from Nielsen, the average user spent over an hour and fifteen minutes on YouTube last month, which means there are plenty of opportunities for a viewer to find out about and watch live streaming content. YouTube Live makes it easy for viewers to find upcoming broadcasts through the “Live” tab at the top of every page. Here, users can see events that are currently being broadcasted, as well as upcoming broadcasts and which events have been the most popular.

By embracing live streaming, YouTube is establishing itself as an even bigger player in the entertainment and newsspace, and with such a wide audience, it has the potential to face network and cable television head-on. The competition between online broadcasting and traditional television will likely benefit marketers and consumers, as both will have increasingly more options to share and view content.

YouTube has released limited information publicly about its live streaming guidelines, and we have a few questions that still need to be addressed. For instance, if your brand pays for Promoted Videos, will this apply for live streaming as well? Will it be a cost add-on if so? And will YouTube allow companies to white label their live streamed content and use it on their own properties?  Live events currently can’t be archived to a brand’s YouTube channel, but YouTube is looking to change that. Stay tuned as we get further insight into this!