eBay Live sales jump eightfold as marketplace opens streams to all sellers

Online marketplace eBay posted a record quarter for its live shopping format, with gross merchandise volume on eBay Live rising roughly eight times year over year across seven markets. Viewer numbers, watch time, and items sold also increased. The company now plans to bring the feature to more international markets in the coming weeks and months.

eBay did not disclose the exact GMV figure, making it hard to gauge the true scale of growth. Still, the company sees the format as a key growth area. According to eBay, over 90% of sellers who stream regularly have seen their GMV grow, and those using Live sell about three times more than those who do not. Buyers are spending more too: first-time shoppers in the collectibles category spend around 70% more than their non-Live counterparts.

The format launched as invite-only in the U.S. in 2022, followed by a beta in the U.K. in 2024, and later rolled out to Germany, Australia, France, Italy, and Canada. Last month, eBay dropped the invite-only model and opened self-service onboarding to sellers in more than 300 categories, ranging from electronics and fashion to collectibles.

The company also improved live event discovery on its homepage and mobile app. For sellers, eBay simplified event creation, inventory preparation, and live item management, while boosting bidding responsiveness for smoother and faster streams.

The growth comes as live shopping in the U.S. moves beyond a niche trend. Resale platform StockX recently added live shopping features, Whatnot is valued at over $11 billion, and TikTok Shop is reportedly testing a paid membership with free shipping and exclusive discounts.