Here are the stats we have so far on Twitter's live stream of Trump's inauguration (TWTR)

Inauguration Viewership
Inauguration Viewership

BII

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User traffic to Twitter's live stream of the presidential inauguration was down significantly to comparable recent events – like Election Day, and the opening of the Republican and Democratic national conventions – according to Jumpshot analysis cited by Mediapost.

Likewise, viewership on traditional TV also underwhelmed, according to Nielsen estimates cited in Mediapost as well:

  • Twitter. The audience for Twitter's live stream of the inauguration was 23% smaller than that of the Election Day live stream. More than 70% of the audience was male, and nearly half of all viewers were between 18 to 24 years old. These figures are consistent with Twitter's audience on other recent political live streams.

  • Television. The inauguration also underwhelmed on traditional TV. According to Nielsen estimates, it drew in an estimated 30.6 million TV viewers in the US, placing it in fifth in Inauguration Day ratings, behind Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon.

  • Akamai. Akamai is one the most prominent content delivery networks (CDN) with over 216,000 servers across 120 countries to deliver worldwide web traffic. The inauguration was the largest single live news event Akamai ever delivered. Live streaming peaked at 8.7 Tbps, supporting 4.6 million concurrent viewers, beating the previous record set during Election Day coverage.

  • Caveats. There’s no YouTube or Facebook data for inauguration live stream viewership yet, which will be necessary to get a fuller picture of the inauguration digital viewership. It’s possible that smaller audience on Twitter reflects a decline in usage of that platform – perhaps in favor of Facebook and Google – rather than a shrinking digital audience for the inauguration.

If 2015 was the year that brands and advertisers embraced online video, then 2016 saw the medium take the next step as live streaming took off.

Live streaming video refers to broadcasts in real time to an audience over the internet. While the concept of live streaming has been around for years, mobile-first video platforms with user-generated content have just recently begun to make serious waves thanks to improved video quality, faster broadband speeds, and enhanced mobile technology.

Online video has become a key part of the strategic business model for both brands and marketers as they seek more innovative ways to capture consumer attention. Creative live streaming video initiatives and campaigns are a way for companies to cut through the digital clutter and have emerged as the medium of choice not only for person-to-person sharing, but also for business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) communication. 

Brands are increasingly using live streaming to reach audiences. Its importance has grown significantly thanks to substantial investments by social platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and Twitter to build and enhance their live-streaming platforms.

And advertising dollars are likely to follow. 88% of agency respondents stated that they “might” or “definitely will” invest in live stream video advertising over the next six months, according to a recent Trusted Media Brands survey.

BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on live streaming video that examines the eruption of online video from the perspective of both consumers and advertisers and assesses how live streaming is emerging as the medium's next catalyst for growth.

Here are some key points from the report:

  • Live streaming video will further accelerate streaming videos overall share of internet traffic. Streaming video accounts for over two-thirds of all internet traffic, and this share is expected to jump to 82% by 2020, according to Cisco’s June 2016 Visual Networking Index report.

  • Live video’s value comes from its unique ability to add an authentic human element to digital communications. As a result, brands are leveraging three main streaming methods to connect with their viewers: tutorials, product launches, and exclusive and behind-the-scene footage.

  • Advertisers will continue to invest heavily in online video, especially as live streaming video gains traction. Already in the US, digital video ad revenue reached $7.8 billion in 2015, up 55% from 2014, according to figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau.

  • While live streaming is still in its early stages, brands are leveraging micropayments, mid-roll video ads and direct payments from social platforms, to monetize their live streaming videos.

  • The success of live streaming video hinges on brands overcoming a lack of measurement standards in the space, as well as changes in social media sites' algorithms that affect what content users see.

In full, the report:

  • Examines the eruption of live streaming video.

  • Explores the differences between platforms that host live streaming video.

  • Breaks down successful approaches from both brands and publishers.

  • Discusses unique monetization opportunities live streaming presents.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:

  1. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. » START A MEMBERSHIP

  2. Purchase & download the full report from our research store. » BUY THE REPORT

The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of live streaming video.

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