eBay Doubles Down on Live Shopping After Strong Q2 Growth

eBay is putting even more focus on live shopping after reporting impressive growth in the segment during its second-quarter earnings. As competition heats up with platforms such as Whatnot and TikTok Shop, the online marketplace is expanding its live commerce strategy to attract more buyers and sellers.

During the company’s second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, eBay revealed that the gross merchandise volume (GMV) generated through eBay Live increased nearly eightfold compared to the same period last year across seven different markets. The platform also experienced significant growth in viewer numbers, total watch time, and the number of products sold through live events.

Following these strong results, eBay announced plans to bring eBay Live to additional international markets over the coming weeks and months as part of its broader global expansion strategy.

CEO Jamie Iannone said the latest performance confirms the company’s belief that live shopping can play a much larger role in the future of the marketplace. According to him, live events help users discover products more easily, encourage deeper engagement, and increase the speed at which items are bought and sold across eBay’s platform.

While the growth figures appear impressive, eBay did not disclose the exact GMV generated by eBay Live. Without that number, it remains difficult to measure the true scale of the business despite the reported year-over-year surge.

Even so, the company shared several encouraging statistics that highlight growing adoption among both sellers and buyers. More than 90% of sellers who regularly host live shopping sessions have experienced GMV growth. In addition, sellers using eBay Live reportedly sell around three times more products than sellers who do not use the feature.

Buyers are also showing stronger purchasing behavior during live events.

In the collectibles category, first-time shoppers who purchase through eBay Live spend approximately 70% more than customers who shop through traditional listings.

eBay first introduced its Live platform in the United States in 2022 as an invite-only experience. The company later expanded internationally, launching a beta version in the United Kingdom in 2024 before rolling out the service to countries including Germany, Australia, France, Italy, and Canada.

Last month, eBay made another major change by ending its invite-only approach. Eligible sellers can now sign up through a self-service onboarding process across more than 300 product categories, ranging from electronics and fashion to collectibles and other popular items.

The company has also continued improving the platform with new product features designed to make live shopping easier for both buyers and sellers. Recent updates include better discovery tools on the homepage and mobile app, allowing users to find live events more quickly. For sellers, eBay has simplified event creation, inventory preparation, and live product management. It has also enhanced bidding responsiveness to create faster and smoother livestream shopping experiences.

eBay’s continued investment comes as live shopping gains momentum in the U.S. market. Once considered a niche format, livestream commerce is now attracting serious attention from major companies. Resale marketplace StockX recently introduced its own live shopping feature, while Whatnot continues to grow rapidly with a valuation exceeding $11 billion. Meanwhile, TikTok Shop is reportedly testing a paid membership program that would provide members with benefits such as free shipping and exclusive discounts.

With stronger seller participation, increased buyer spending, and plans for further international expansion, eBay is signaling that live shopping is becoming an increasingly important part of its long-term growth strategy.

Also read : Reddit Expands AI Moderation to Reduce Karma Barriers