eBay expands Live shopping after eightfold GMV growth
eBay puts more weight behind Live shopping
eBay reported that gross merchandise volume on eBay Live increased by about eight times year over year during the company’s second quarter, across seven markets. The online marketplace plans to expand the livestream shopping service to more international markets in the coming weeks and months.
Chief executive Jamie Iannone told investors that the results strengthened eBay’s confidence that Live can deepen engagement, broaden discovery and increase velocity across the wider marketplace. eBay did not disclose the GMV base figure, however, so the absolute size of the business and the practical scale of the reported increase remain unclear.
Seller tools and buyer spending are central to the push
eBay says that more than 90% of sellers who stream regularly have experienced GMV growth. Sellers using Live sell about three times more than those that do not use the format. In collectibles, first-time buyers shopping through Live spend around 70% more than comparable first-time shoppers outside Live.
The service began as an invite-only US launch in 2022. eBay then expanded internationally, beginning with a UK beta in 2024, followed by availability in Germany, Australia, France, Italy and Canada. Last month, the company moved beyond the invite-only model with self-service onboarding for eligible sellers in more than 300 categories, including electronics, fashion and collectibles.
Discovery and transaction flow receive product updates
Recent eBay Live updates include discovery features on the homepage and in the mobile app, intended to make live events easier to find. The company has also simplified event creation, inventory preparation and live-item management for sellers, while improving bidding responsiveness to support faster, smoother livestreams.
The investment arrives as live shopping receives more attention in the US. Whatnot has continued to grow and is valued at more than $11 billion, while TikTok Shop is reportedly testing a paid membership with free shipping and exclusive discounts. StockX has also introduced live-shopping capabilities. The wider competitive backdrop includes platform strategies such as Bending Spoons’ Nasdaq digital empire expansion, where expansion has also been tied to building broader digital portfolios.
What the expansion means for marketplace operators
eBay’s figures point to livestreaming as a sales and discovery format the company wants to embed more deeply in its marketplace rather than retain as a limited experiment. The missing GMV total means businesses should be cautious about judging market size from the growth multiple alone. For sellers and marketplace teams, the practical implication is to evaluate live formats with measurable outcomes such as sales velocity, buyer spending, event discovery and the operational effort needed to manage inventory in real time.