Live Streaming: Felix Baumgartner Space Jump Sets YouTube Record

By emeadows
October 17, 2012

YouTube was able to provide 8 million simultaneous live streams of Felix Baumgartner’s record-breaking leap from space.
It was record-breaking for YouTube also. “That number blows away YouTube’s previous peak of 500,000 concurrent streams, which it hit this summer during the Olympics, as well as last year during the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton,” reports AllThingsD.
“It doesn’t take much imagination to envision YouTube doing this kind of stuff, at this scale, on a regular basis,” notes the article. “Which would mean the Web finally has a chance to rival TV when it comes to serving up live events with huge audiences — one of TV’s last remaining advantages over the Internet.”
But it’s likely to be a slow shift. First of all, there aren’t many live events, aside from awards shows and significant sporting events, that millions of people want to watch at once. And in regards to those types of events, TV companies have those rights locked up for years to come.
In the meanwhile, YouTube will continue to live stream events small and large, hoping to build upon its recent successes.

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