Facebook Live Statistics

A majority of social media users today are turning to social media channels in search of live video formats more than ever before. One such platform that supports the live video format is Facebook Live. Since its launch in 2015, Facebook Live has made the world more engaging and has provided us with an opportunity to make the most out of social influencers’ networks. It has created some profound effects on how users perceive and interact with videos on Facebook.

It has also become one of the greatest frontiers of Facebook and as the platform continues to grow steadily, statistics on the feature also continue to change. Join us as we are about to begin our exploration of the latest Facebook Live statistics in this article.

On this page, you’ll find:


Key Facebook Live Statistics

Here is a list of the top 10 statistics from this article


  • An average of more than 8 billion daily video views including live is racked up by Facebook users. (Mediakix)
  • Facebook is generating over 3000 years’ worth of watch time every day at just 3 seconds per view. (TechCrunch)
  • Facebook saw a 300% increase in live videos from media companies between January and May 2016. (WSJ)
  • For top social media stars, Facebook Live views, likes, and shares grew to near 20% or more. (Bitly)
  • Since its launch in 2016, Facebook Live broadcasts have doubled year-over-year. (Marketing Land)
  • The number of Facebook Live broadcasts reached 3.5 billion in 2018. (Engadget)
  • To use Facebook Live, Facebook paid publishers and celebrities $50 million. (WSJ)
  • Influencers who used Facebook Live were paid $2.2 million by Facebook. (WSJ)
  • Compared to videos that aren’t live anymore, Facebook Live videos are watched 3 times more. (Facebook)
  • Compared to non-live videos, live videos drive 6 times more interactions. (Wired)

General Facebook Live Statistics

          In 2018, certain changes were bought into Facebook’s News Feed algorithm. This focused on meaningful interactions where comments, reactions, and shares were given priority over passive actions such as clicking the Like button. These meaningful interactions were encouraged by Facebook Live videos. The type of content users post is also one of the crucial new ranking signals. Firstly, we shall look into some general Facebook Live statistics.


  • An average of more than 8 billion daily video views including live is racked up by Facebook users. (Mediakix)
  • Facebook is generating over 3000 years’ worth of watch time every day at just 3 seconds per view. (TechCrunch)
  • The high school or college-aged users made up 70% of the trial group for Facebook Live. (WSJ)
  • To stay informed, 25% of users watch live videos. (Streaming Media)
  • From 2017 to 2018, viewing hours of live video content rose 65% (PR Newswire)
  • From 2016 to 2018, the key phrase “Facebook live stream” saw a 330% increase in searches. (Mediakix)
  • The most important aspect of Facebook Live videos is the video quality according to 90% of online viewers. (Telescope)
  • Compared to static posts on Facebook, people gaze 5 times longer at videos. (Tubular Insights)
  • In the U.S., 17% of internet users watch videos on Facebook Live. (Wowza)

Popularity of Facebook Live among Businesses

          Facebook Live has become one of the best platforms for engaging viewers through videos. Globally, marketers are finding that video content works for them. Facebook Live serves as a platform for marketers to have access to the world’s largest online audiences. It also serves as a flexible platform for both internal and external business use. In this section, we shall look into some statistics that throw light on the popularity of Facebook Live among businesses.


  1. Facebook saw a 300% increase in live videos from media companies between January and May 2016. (WSJ)
  2. For top social media stars, Facebook Live views, likes, and shares grew to near 20% or more. (Bitly)
  3. Live video has been broadcasted by only 30% of marketers. (Buffer)
  4. To promote their business, 63% of marketers used Facebook videos. (Wyzowl)
  5. Facebook is used by 93.7% of businesses. (Razorpay)
  6. Compared to social posts, 82% of people prefer live videos from a brand. (Livestream)

Facebook Live Broadcasting Effects

          The live streaming module has been used by people to get information about the broadcast and the things that happen during that broadcast. This will include the concurrent number of viewers, comments, and reactions when you broadcast a video with the effects available. We shall now look into some of the statistics on Facebook Live Broadcasting effects.


  1. Since its launch in 2016, Facebook Live broadcasts have doubled year-over-year. (Marketing Land)
  2. The number of Facebook Live broadcasts reached 3.5 billion in 2018. (Engadget)
  3. In 2017, 20% of Facebook videos were broadcast live. (Facebook)
  4. With 174.8 million views, Chewbacca Mom is Facebook Live’s most-watched video. (Facebook)
  5. At least 50 violent or criminal incidents have been broadcasted on Facebook Live. (WSJ)
  6. Facebook Live’s biggest event was New Year’s Eve in the year 2016. (Facebook)
  7. For Facebook Live broadcasts, daily watch time has grown by more than 4 times. (Facebook)
  8. At least 1 in every 5 Facebook videos has been reported to be a live broadcast. (Facebook)
  9. Android devices are used by more than 50% of viewers for watching Facebook Live videos. (Facebook)

Facebook Live Financial Statistics

          One of the most fascinating things about Facebook Live is its marketing capacity. When compared to other social media platforms and email marketing, Facebook Live has proven to be more superior and various statistics and reports also indicate the same. We shall follow some of the Facebook Live financial statistics in this section to get a good grasp of this phenomenon.


  • To use Facebook Live, Facebook paid publishers and celebrities $50 million. (WSJ)
  • Influencers who used Facebook Live were paid $2.2 million by Facebook. (WSJ)
  • The average share rates for Facebook native videos are 477% higher. (Quintly)

Facebook Live videos vs Facebook non-Live videos

          Driving interactions more than non-live videos, Facebook live has now become a dream for engaging audiences. Facebook Live focuses on interaction with a moment in time and commenting is about being a part of a live conversation. It has become more dynamic and prone to evolution. In this last section of the article, we shall see some statistics that compare Facebook Live videos and Facebook non-Live videos.


  • Compared to videos that aren’t live anymore, Facebook Live videos are watched 3 times more. (Facebook)
  • Compared to non-live videos, live videos drive 6 times more interactions. (Wired)
  • Compared to other platforms, Live stream video engagement is 26% higher on Facebook. (Yans Media)
  • The average engagement rate of Facebook Live videos is 4.3%, while the average engagement rate of Facebook non-Live videos is 2.2% (Telescope)
  • Compared to regular videos, Facebook Live videos get 10 times more comments. (BloggingX)

Frequently Asked Questions

Reports suggest that per day, Facebook Live videos have an average of 64 billion views. Facebook live streaming platforms are used by 78% of marketers.

Yes, there is a time limit on Facebook Live. 8 hours is the time limit for live streaming on computers while 4 hours is the time limit for live streaming on mobile devices.

To live stream on Facebook, 4000 Kbps is the recommended maximum video bitrate. 96 Kbps or 128 Kbps is the recommended maximum audio bitrate.

The time limit for live streaming on computers is 8 hours and the time limit for live streaming on mobile devices is 4 hours.

If your phone rings during Facebook Live, then your viewers will see a message stating that your broadcast is interrupted.

Conclusion

          We have come to an end of our article on the latest Facebook Live statistics. For marketing and sales, the best social media platform is perhaps Facebook. There is no other social media platform like Facebook that will allow you to target users with the same accuracy. The rapid growth of Facebook Live broadcasts is an important thing one has to keep in his/her mind. Specialists in social media marketing need to remember the fact that live video isn’t going anywhere and video content, both pre-recorded and live will most likely be the future of social media. Right now, the best thing one can do is to show the right video to the right users at the right time.

Author: Shubham Calmblay

Shubham Calmblay, founder of appsthatdeliver.com, has a decade of experience with various Google products. He has authored 1,000+ guides for ATD, published on prestigious tech blogs. His work has garnered recognition from Protocol.com, Leadsbridge.com, MadMobile.com, and numerous other leading publications and corporations.