YouTube Live is gaining ground on Twitch (GOOGL)

An insightful, stat-packed quarterly update from Streamlabs compares Twitch and YouTube Live on measures of monthly active streamers and revenue.

The analysis, which was limited to just Streamlabs’ streamers across both platforms, shows that while Twitch is still where the money is, YouTube Live is growing much, much faster.

Tipping volume on YouTube Live may catch up to that on Twitch by 2018, Streamlabs estimates. Monetization lags growth in monthly active streamers because revenue often comes after a large, loyal, and engaged user base has been built. Twitch’s user base is well-established, hence its superior monetization. But YouTube Live’s streamer numbers are growing fast, so greater revenue will likely follow soon.

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:

In full, the report:

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

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.

YouTube Live is gaining ground on Twitch (GOOGL)

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