The livestreaming industry in 2025 stands at the forefront of digital innovation, transforming how we engage with communities worldwide. Once associated with gaming, livestreaming has evolved into a multifaceted medium with something to offer for everyone.
In this article, Streams Charts explores significant trends shaping the livestreaming landscape in 2025, from the potential of co-streaming and marathon events to the integration of AI-driven multilingual streaming technologies. Dive into these transformative trends and discover what the future holds for this dynamic and ever-evolving industry.
Platforms to offer more localized approaches for new environments
As livestreaming continues to expand to new global audiences, established platforms must continue to evolve and adapt themselves to enjoy success among diverse, global audiences. When entering new markets, companies which are able to best localize their approach are the most likely to succeed. This does not only apply to platforms entering new regions or markets, but those hosting new kinds of content and breaking into a new viewerbase.
Localization goes beyond language, it involves adapting content, features, and strategies to align with cultural preferences, regional trends, and local regulations. By tailoring themselves for specific regions, platforms can foster a sense of community and relevance, which drives user engagement. For example, Kick’s expansions into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Latin America (LATAM) were both great examples of how a livestreaming platform should best apply itself here.
In LATAM, Kick’s biggest signing was Luis “WestCol” Villa, a Colombian streamer who joined the platform in early 2023. WestCol rapidly became one of Kick’s most popular streamers, highlighting the potential of Spanish-language viewership to the company. In late 2024, Kick attracted many more stars from the LATAM livestreaming community, such as David “davooxeneize” Quint, Carlos “La Cobra” Díaz, and many more. Kick followed a similar strategy in the MENA region: creators, like Ahmed “sxb” Alqahtani, gained platform-leading viewership after joining in 2023, and then swathes of established MENA creators joined the platform. Collaboration with local creators, brands, and communities strengthens the platform’s credibility and authenticity in these local regions.
Looking forward, Southeast Asia presents an equally compelling opportunity for Kick. Southeast Asia is a livestreaming hotspot, full of communities for esports, sports, fashion, and everything else. Countries like the Philippines and Indonesia not only boast highly passionate and active livestreaming communities, but they contribute millions of viewers to mobile gaming esports events.
Kick's ability to adapt its platform to local preferences will be crucial in this mobile-dominated region, which offers a natural path for growth to the platform. For Kick, scaling in these emerging markets will depend on balancing localization with scalability while navigating challenges such as competition from established platforms like YouTube. Southeast Asia offers a natural path to growth for Kick, and if the green platform can establish itself here, it could prove trouble for other competitors like YouTube and TikTok Live.
A localized approach for new audiences is critical for any livestreaming platform. In 2025, we will more likely see growing platforms like Kick break into new regions and continue their establishment of their global force. By addressing cultural nuances, user behaviors, and market demands, livestreaming platforms can achieve sustainable growth and establish themselves as leaders in the global digital landscape.
Latent potential of niche sports in livestreaming
The sports industry is rapidly embracing livestreaming as an innovative medium to engage global audiences. With growing consumer demand for accessible content, livestreaming is no longer confined to esports or casual gaming. The industry is increasingly becoming a primary channel for sports, driven by shifts in viewing habits.
Livestreaming is such a broad industry, it does not limit itself to traditional sports. While these traditional sporting events can generate millions of viewers, the potential of content-infused sports is clear. Events like the Kings League and Sidemen Charity Match series blur the line between sports competition and entertainment, and with the co-streaming support of associated creators, these events can also reach millions of global viewers concurrently.
While traditional sporting events like the UEFA Euros can draw millions of viewers through livestreaming, the industry is also appealing to nicher sports too. Regional competitions and emerging sports could find a home on a streaming platform, where they can host low-cost live coverage. While these nicher sports may struggle to find a home on traditional broadcasting media, livestreaming represents an easy alternative to both host coverage for your fans and increase exposure to potential followers.
One of the world’s oldest sports, chess, already experienced its livestreaming boom during the pandemic. The coverage and attention received by chess during the lockdowns were unprecedented, bringing many chess streamers and creators to the forefront of the entertainment industries. In 2021, Chess.com acquired the broadcasting rights to the FIDE World Championship, expanding the live broadcast options for viewers to follow the event.
An immediate success for the livestreaming industry, the 2021 World Championship became the most popular chess event in livestreaming ever and was more than twice as popular as the previous championship. Not only was the livestreaming and content creation industry crucial to chess’ growth during these years, but support for its competitive events through livestreaming skyrocketed. The question for the sport’s side of livestreaming now, is which sport will explode in viewership next?
In 2025, livestreaming will transform sports broadcasting further, likely with new niche sports finding a surprising fanbase for themselves and exploding in viewership. The industry’s streamlined pipeline for broadcasting offers local events a budget-friendly option to engage with fans in our new digital world. As the lines blur between sports and entertainment, livestreaming offers unprecedented opportunities for leagues, athletes, and platforms to revolutionize global sports consumption.
Rise of ecommerce in livestreaming
Ecommerce and livestreaming are converging in new and exciting ways, transforming the way consumers discover and purchase products. What started as a trend in markets like China has now gone global, with major players such as TikTok, YouTube, and others joining the liveshopping trend.
Livestream shopping brings a personalized layer to the online shopping experience. Hosts demonstrate products in real-time, answer questions, and provide instant purchasing options. This format has proven especially effective in China, where liveshopping is projected to reach a billion-dollar industry in the coming years. In the western world, brands are finding their own success in liveshopping. Towards the end of 2024, UK-based beauty start-up P Louise generated more than $2M in sales in only 12 hours through a special livestreamed event on TikTok Live.
“One of the key trends I see shaping the livestreaming industry in 2025 is the rise of live-streaming commerce. As creators look for new ways to monetize their content, integrating shopping features directly into streams will become a game-changer. With one-click purchasing, viewers will be able to buy products during live broadcasts, creating a seamless experience that benefits both creators and brands. This shift will allow brands to connect with their audience in a more direct way, while creators can generate additional revenue from their streams.”
Julien Garros, Creators & Media Marketing Manager, Europe at Logitech G
Liveshopping is a proven ecommerce tactic for brands across the globe, but many livestreaming platforms are yet to integrate extensive features for purchasing products. YouTube has their YouTube Shopping feature, which allows creators to tag products and promote their store, but it is not the smooth one-click-purchase experience which has thrived in Asia.
Twitch had previously experimented with liveshopping functionality in 2017, but these functions were discontinued and eventually removed. With profit margins being a recurring topic for platforms like Twitch, liveshopping could offer platforms a new way to promote their creators and boost the platform’s own revenue through a small cut of sales.
Phenomenon of ‘subathon’ livestreaming events
Subathons, where streamers extend their live broadcast duration based on subscriber milestones or donations, have grown into much more than endurance tests. Industry-leading creators now host subathons with thematic content, guest appearances, and push themselves in new and exciting ways. These marathon sessions are particularly appealing to brands, which see them as an opportunity to reach loyal and highly engaged audiences over extended periods.
Global brands are increasingly partnering with streamers to sponsor subathons, weaving their messaging seamlessly into the content. During Kai Cenat’s recent Mafiathon 2 event, the streamer hosted a segment sponsored by a fantasy sports betting platform, and many other sponsors have been involved with these livestreaming events. Product Manager at Streams Charts, Nazar Babenko, reflected on the impact and effects of these marathon events in livestreaming:
“The evolution of subathons from gaming-focused events to creative, entertainment-driven spectacles indicates significant growth potential in 2025. Streamers’ ability to innovate and connect with their audiences makes these events powerful platforms for global brands to engage with younger, digital-native demographics. By emphasizing compelling narratives, meaningful causes, and interactivity, subathons are set to redefine digital entertainment and become major cultural phenomena.
We've seen a lot of examples over the last year:
Kai Cenat’s Mafiathon: With its immersive roleplay concept, it emphasizes how subathons are evolving into storytelling and experiential entertainment.
Ironmouse’s Charity Subathon: Breaking records, Ironmouse demonstrated how subathons can blend community support and philanthropy. This was more about personal connection, entertainment, and creativity than just gaming.
CDawgVA's Cyclethon: This cycling marathon emphasizes endurance and highlights the creativity in crafting unique concepts, which keeps viewers engaged over extended periods.
The rise of non-gaming subathons indicates a shift toward broader entertainment categories. Storytelling, variety shows, live challenges, and charity drives are increasingly central themes, appealing to a wider audience. Streamers are expected to continue pushing the boundaries of creativity, crafting subathons with unique themes, interactive elements, and dynamic story arcs.
This creates opportunities for brands to partner in ways that feel organic and impactful. As subathons grow in scope, brands will likely play a larger role in sponsoring events, especially those aligned with social causes or novel entertainment ideas. Collaborations could range from integrating products or services into the events to hosting co-branded challenges.”
Nazar Babenko, Product Manager at Streams Charts
Subathons and marathon streams are more than just spectacles; they represent a new frontier for creators and brands alike. By blending long-form engagement with brand partnerships, these events are primed to open up new opportunities and partnerships for livestreamers around the globe. With the phenomenon of subathon events well-established in the livestreaming industry, the question is what comes next, and how streamers will continue to innovate and entertain with this young format.
News & political content growing in livestreaming
Livestreaming is becoming an increasingly dominant medium for political content and real-time news coverage. Platforms like YouTube and Rumble are now prime media for political discourse, campaign outreach, and live journalism. In a world where viewers are seeking unfiltered, immediate content that offers direct engagement with the relevant issues and events, livestreaming is the go-to source for news and political content.
One appeal of livestreaming for political content lies in its interactive and authentic nature. Politicians, activists, and commentators are using livestreams to host speeches, discuss recent events, and respond to questions in real time. This trend follows how social media platforms became key tools for grassroots movements, allowing activists to communicate with their people and build new connections.
Real-time coverage of breaking events, such as elections, inaugurations, or just general news, is increasingly reshaping how news is consumed. President Trump’s recent inauguration was watched by millions of viewers across the globe through the medium of livestreaming. Trump’s own YouTube and Twitch accounts set new viewership records, with the former platform recording over 700,000 concurrent viewers for Trump’s livestream.
Established media companies find themselves audiences on livestreaming platforms thanks to their reputation and authority, but independent journalists and commentators are also leveraging platforms like Rumble to challenge narratives and foster their own viewership. While challenges remain, including monetization of political content as seen with Twitch’s recent struggles, livestreaming’s integration into the political and news ecosystem is set to deepen, offering audiences a more dynamic and participatory way to engage with the world’s most pressing issues.
Co-streaming too big to ignore for traditional event organizers
Co-streaming has become a cornerstone of livestreamed events, creating a more dynamic and personalized viewing experience for global fans. Co-streaming, when a streamer co-broadcasts another event from their own channel, allows creators to cover an event while adding their own commentary and reactions, with the casual feel of the so-called ‘watch party’ enabling passive viewers to become active participants.
Originally popularized through esports, co-streaming has now expanded to encompass a wide range of events. Award shows, live presentations, and even major sports events are embracing co-streaming to reach a more active audience across the world. Through offering co-streamers for minor demographics, these audiences can quickly grow and become major players for the event’s overall viewership.
“Events like Kai Cenat’s 'Mafiathon,' the DTR fight at the Paris Arena, and ‘The League Awards’ hosted by Caedrel and Sjokz show how unique, community-driven events can captivate huge audiences. These formats prove that livestreaming is no longer just about gaming; it's about creating memorable experiences that engage people across all types of content.”
Julien Garros, Creators & Media Marketing Manager, Europe at Logitech G
Crafting memorable experiences is a key feature of co-streaming’s appeal. Rather than a traditional professional event broadcast, a co-stream offers a personalized and unique viewing experience, which can lead to better engagement and support from fans. In the coming years, co-streaming is likely to expand outside of its traditional gaming roots, instead focusing on real-life events.
“The rise of Just Chatting and IRL content has fueled significant growth in co-streaming and watch parties for major global events, such as President Trump’s recent inauguration, industry shows like the Game Awards, and endless others. The trend of reacting to videos has evolved into live reactions during events, whether it's a gaming conference or political speeches. This dynamic creates additional reach and engagement for event organizers.”
Artyom Odintsov, Co-founder and CEO at Streams Charts
Co-streaming is not a new idea to the livestreaming industry, and many major platforms have built-in functionality to enable co-streaming and co-operation between broadcasters. However, the benefits of co-streaming to all kinds of livestreamed events are becoming clear to all. Organizers of more traditional events may begin to support co-streaming as a way to engage a new digital audience. For example, an industry presentation or a political rally would definitely benefit from co-streaming.
Events with comprehensive co-streaming coverage enjoy increased reach, visibility, and audiences receive more personalized content. This phenomenon is set to redefine how local audiences are reached by brands and events in the coming years for the livestreaming industry.
AI removing barriers for livestreamers
Content creation and livestreaming are on the cusp of a linguistic revolution, driven by rapid advancements in AI-powered translation and transcription technologies. Multilingual streaming is no longer limited to static subtitles; instead, real-time AI-driven language solutions are enabling creators to reach audiences across the globe in their local language.
Recently, YouTube has developed their own in-house AI voice dubbing technology to enable streamers to distribute their content globally. Many creators, most famously Mr.Beast, have taken this task upon themselves, translating their content and then uploading it to language-specific channels for different audiences. With platforms now offering their own translation and dubbing technology, this will likely catch on quickly as a default for creators to connect with wider audiences.
Outside of independent streamers and content creators using this content to reach new audiences, this technology is particularly impactful for global events. International esports tournaments, music festivals, and conferences are all primed to offer accessibility and localization to their online audiences.
“I think we are going to see massive growth from Creators who are able to harness the latest in AI technology to allow them to create bespoke content. People are becoming more and more deliberate with how they spend their time and where they put their attention. Therefore, creators who are able to enhance the viewing experience in a way that feels personalised for the individual (language, clips on social, game specific, etc.) are going to grow their audiences quicker and build better connections.”
Edward Gregory, Marketing Lead at FNATIC
One of the most exciting applications of this technology is real-time multilingual communication. AI tools enable real-time translation of not only audience chat messages, but also a conversation with another creator, allowing streamers to interact with both viewers and collaborate with creators on a more international scale than ever before. For example, a creator could answer questions in Korean, English, and Spanish during the same livestream, fostering an inclusive and globally connected community.
Mexican content creator Quackity is known for his multilingual Minecraft server, the QSMP. Quackity created the server in 2023 with a simple idea: the in-game chat for the server would be real-time translated into various languages, allowing creators from Spain, France, and South Korea to all interact with one another seamlessly. Recently, the streamer announced he would host the world’s first multilingual gameshow, featuring creators from any country speaking any language. As the technology advances and opens doors for collaborations and appearances between streamers, multilingual content could be one of livestreaming’s most influential trends.
The VTubing industry is also well-positioned to benefit from these technological advancements. VTubers can often be separated by language barriers, with Japan’s most popular creators unable to collaborate with international ones, but through AI-powered translations, these digital collaborations could be a low-budget but high-reward option for these streamers and their impassioned fans.
The rise of AI-powered multilingual streaming is set to redefine the boundaries of global content creation. By breaking down language barriers, streamers and event organizers can amplify their reach, while audiences worldwide gain access to a more inclusive and engaging livestreaming experience.
VTubers interacting with fans and other creators “face-to-face” thanks to new technology
Throughout 2024, the VTubing industry continued to expand and grow its sphere of influence. The industry originally from Japan has been expanding not only globally, but also with a focus on penetrating other Asian and Western markets. As VTubing’s popularity grows, the creators and agencies behind it are brainstorming new ways to engage their fans.
Anonymity has always been a key part of the VTubing scene, but technological advances are only making it easier for VTubers to interact and collaborate with other streamers, without jeopardizing their identity. Japanese agencies such as Hololive have found a middle ground between audience engagement and protecting their talent: VTubing concert shows. These live music performances feature elaborate set-ups of numerous VTubers dancing on stage and singing along together.
“At VShojo, we believe treating creators like real partners—listening to their goals, respecting their art, and championing their individuality—is what ultimately drives everyone forward. We’ve seen firsthand how supportive, tight-knit communities can blossom around a shared passion for an avatar or a story, and this is just the beginning. The more people discover VTubing, the more they realize it’s not just a digital face or a trend—it’s a dynamic culture of expression and support. That’s what will keep livestreaming evolving and thriving in the years to come.”
Justin Ignacio, CEO & Co-Founder of VShojo
While VTubing concerts have proven to be successful, the industry is moving towards more sociable and casual events. Fans of streamers want to meet their favourite VTuber in a meet-and-greet setting, have a chance to talk to them, and introduce themselves. While some VTubers are comfortable wearing masks in public settings, this compromise on anonymity is not the solution for everyone. To this point, technological advancements in telepresence opportunities for VTubers are revolutionizing what is possible for these creators to do.
Technological advancements have allowed VTubers to connect with their fans in ways that transcends the digital world. At TwitchCon 2022, VShojo creator Projekt Melody appeared at the VShojo booth to meet fans. The VTuber livestreamed her avatar to a life-sized screen which was also connected with a microphone, allowing fans to talk to Melody in a quasi-face-to-face scenario. While telepresence appearances are possible, they can be expensive and require staff at the event in-person to help.
“Another trend is an increased presence of VTubers at events in the West. In earlier days, this wasn’t easy with COVID and the anonymous nature of the talent, but there has been a shift in more IRL-style collaborations while respecting each other’s boundaries as VTubers. One of the changes has been that VTubers are more comfortable wearing masks when making public appearances off-camera, like convention meet-and-greets. And for those who still prefer complete anonymity, there have been advancements in technology that more easily allow telepresence setups.”
Justin Ignacio, CEO & Co-Founder of VShojo
Alternatively, others have been experimenting with Augemented Reality technology, which is quickly emerging as a favourite way for creators to interact with VTubers. Ironmouse, a Puerto Rican VTuber signed with VShojo, recently appeared on Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter’s and Alyssa “Alythuh” Silos thanks to AR technology. Ironmouse’s avatar sat on a couch across from the two creators, allowing them to record a podcast chatting with each other as if she was in the room.
Between these new advancements and the emerging technology of AI-powered multilingual broadcasts, VTubers can interact with fans and others in ways never before imagined. In 2025, it is highly likely we could see a multilingual broadcast from an agency like Hololive, which has both English and Japanese-talent under the roster. Agencies can now host collaborations between these two teams, and stream multilingual broadcasts to ensure all audiences are covered.
The advancement of AI, AR, and general telepresence technology has set up 2025 to be a massively innovative year for VTubers. These creators are no longer limited to digital collaborations with other creators of their kind, but can instead venture into the world while keeping their prized anonymity in place.
