eBay doubles down on live shopping after a record quarter

As eBay works to keep pace with rivals such as Whatnot and TikTok Shop, the online marketplace is pushing further into live shopping after a record quarter. During its second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, the company said gross merchandise volume (GMV) on eBay Live jumped about eight times year-over-year across seven markets, alongside growth in viewers, watch time, and items sold. eBay plans to expand Live to more international markets in the coming weeks and months.

“These results reinforce our confidence that Live can deepen engagement, broaden discovery, and increase velocity across the broader eBay marketplace,” CEO Jamie Iannone told investors.

eBay did not disclose the exact GMV figure, making it hard to gauge the scale of that growth. Still, the company clearly sees Live as a priority, and it says the feedback from sellers and buyers has been encouraging: more than 90% of sellers who stream regularly have seen their GMV grow, and those who use Live sell about three times more than sellers who don’t. Buyers are spending more too — first-time shoppers in the collectibles category are spending around 70% more than shoppers who don’t use Live.

eBay launched Live as an invite-only feature in the US in 2022, then expanded internationally, starting with a UK beta in 2024, before rolling out to Germany, Australia, France, Italy, and Canada. Last month, the company moved past its invite-only model, offering self-service onboarding to eligible sellers across more than 300 categories, from electronics to fashion and collectibles.

The company also pointed to product improvements, including new discovery features on its homepage and mobile app to make live events easier to find. Iannone said eBay has simplified event creation, inventory preparation, and live item management for sellers, while improving “bidding responsiveness” for smoother, faster livestreams.

The push comes as live shopping in the US moves beyond a niche experiment, with more companies treating it as a serious channel. Whatnot continues to gain traction, now valued at more than $11 billion, resale platform StockX recently added live shopping capabilities, and TikTok Shop is reportedly testing a paid membership offering free shipping and exclusive discounts.

Why it matters

If live shopping keeps converting browsers into buyers at these rates, established marketplaces like eBay have an incentive to treat it as core infrastructure rather than a side feature — intensifying competition with dedicated live-commerce platforms.