Why Live Video Is Now a Must-Buy for Marketers and Brands

Content people want to watch gets high engagement

From sports to breaking news to the biggest music festivals in the world, live video gives consumers the experience of being in two places at once. Forget elbowing for space in a crowd or staying glued to your TV. These days, live video delivers two things really well: convenience and emotion. Now fans—and advertisers—everywhere can finally be a part of such can't-miss moments.

Lisa Utzschneider

As video viewership on digital devices increases, so does the thirst for live content. Sixty-four percent of consumers have watched live online videos in the past year. That's especially true for millennials who want access to these experiences—41 percent said live events help keep them in the know. And brands are getting in on the action. Advertising alongside live video jumped 113 percent year over year, outpacing other types of digital video.

Even more compelling than the massive amount of eyeballs live programming attracts is that viewers who tune in to live video are highly engaged. Our recent study on the ad effectiveness of livestreams found that viewers are emotionally engaged with live content and find it valuable because it's content they want to see.

It's no surprise that for brands, the advertising opportunities are incredibly powerful. It's not just about mobility and convenience—although that's a plus. With live programming, in which viewers have a high level of interest and are more likely to stay tuned in longer, the ability to make an impression with a captivated audience is even greater. We found that ads placed alongside live content score higher than ads with on-demand content, and live ads are 75 percent more emotionally engaging. Additionally, brand favorability is 481 percent higher for live ads, and purchase likelihood is 77 percent higher. But is a live audience really focusing on the ads? Turns out more than one-third of consumers said they pay more attention to live ads, and 31 percent said they remember live ads better.

With the rise of live video, brands have a new way to reach their audiences and make a strong impression. Just remember that to make your advertising a success, you need to be an active participant in these experiences. Keep your ads engaging, and you can benefit from the powerful halo effect of live video and the connections it drives with viewers everywhere.

Lisa Utzschneider (@Lisa_Utz) is chief revenue officer at Yahoo.