Home Millions of People Now Get Live Streaming Video Sent to Their Phones

Millions of People Now Get Live Streaming Video Sent to Their Phones

Live video, from around the world, streaming right through the phone in your hand: that’s pretty incredible. It’s not science fiction anymore, it’s now something that millions of people have experienced.

San Francisco’s Justin.tv announced today that almost one and a half million people have downloaded the company’s live-video-stream-viewing app to their iPhones in the first month it’s been available. From Leo Laporte’s This Week in Tech, to the Future of Money conference, to a lot of content I don’t care to watch, Justin.tv is definitely getting traction. This isn’t the only company fast finding a lot of consumer interest in mobile video streaming, either.

Competitor Ustream made a similar announcement when it hit the iTunes store in January, saying more than one hundred thousand people downloaded that app in its first 24 hours. Ustream has Justin Bieber content, which you may consider an asset or a liability, depending on your perspective. (Personally, I just love Justin Bieber. I know he loves me back and I want him to be a part of my family.)

The point is: People love live streaming video to mobile handsets.

Justin.tv said today that it has made major stability updates to its app (sometimes these things still feel like tin cans with string between them), and added push notifications to alert users when their favorite live shows are broadcasting. The iPhone app already contributes about 20% of the company’s total new account sign-ups.

We don’t know how many downloads the Ustream app has seen since it first entered the iTunes app store and was featured prominently there, but if we assume that the same one half of one percent of users will have rated the Ustream app as have rated the Justin.tv app, then Ustream would have seen well more than 11 million downloads so far. Presumably if the app had in fact passed 10 million by now, we would have heard about it.

The moral of the story, though, is that live streaming video sent to mobile phones is here and people like it. Live video broadcasting from mobile is much, much less popular of course, but content creation is always less popular than consumption.

It’s exciting to imagine how a more mature mobile, live-streaming video market will look. I’m ready to watch all kinds of things happen live on my phone.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.