YouTube live streams were introduced back in April 2011, and since then they have been a handy tool for various channels and their dedicated fans and viewers to partake the excitement of an event taking place live. From space research institutes to football clubs to celebrity musicians, YouTube live streams are utilised to broadcast an exclusive live experience worldwide.
For example, ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation, live streamed the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the South Polar lunar surface on August 23, 2023. The live broadcast became the most watched out of all YouTube live streams till date. It commanded over 80 lakh or 8 million peak concurrent viewers (PCVs). The second most viewed live stream in the world is the 2022 Football World Cup Quarter Final match between Brazil and Croatia. The top two live streams are indicative of the two sectors that viewers are fanatic about throughout the world- space and sports. However, which other videos come out on top to make the top 10 most viewed live streams on YouTube?Also Read: Top 10 most followed accounts on Twitter / X in the world
Top 10 Most Viewed Live Stream in the World
With the Chandrayaan-3 softlanding video commanding the highest till date, here’s a list of the other top most viewed live streams in the world, sourced from data collected by Playboard. ISRO’s live stream figures are not yet updated on Playboard, at the time of writing.
| Rank & YouTube Stream | Peak Real-time Views | Streamed on |
|---|---|---|
| #1 ISRO – Chandrayaan 3 Mission Soft Landing | 8.09 million | August 23, 2023 |
| #2 CazéTV – World Cup 2022 QF Brazil vs Croatia | 6.14 million | December 9, 2022 |
| #3 CazéTV – Brazil vs. South Korea 2022 World Cup | 5.20 million | December 6, 2022 |
| #4 CazéTV – Portugal vs. France UEFA EURO 2024 | 4.90 million | July 6, 2024 |
| #5 CazéTV – Vasco vs Flamengo | 4.79 million | March 19, 2023 |
| #6 SpaceX- Crew Demo-2 | 4.08 million | May 28, 2020 |
| #7 Hybe Labels: Butter from BTS | 3.74 million | May 21, 2022 |
| #8 Apple Event | 3.69 million | September 7, 2022 |
| #9 CazéTV – CORINTHIANS X SÃO PAULO | 3.61 million | January 1, 2024 |
| #10 Law and Crime Network: Depp vs. Heard Trial | 3.54 million | June 1, 2022 |
Time to dig a little deeper into the most viewed live stream in the world, along with the nine other most viewed YouTube live streams!Also Read: Most-liked and disliked Youtube videos in the world
Chandrayaan-3 Mission Soft-landing LIVE Telecast
- Channel Name: ISRO
- Country: India
- Channel Type: Space Research and Exploration
Chandrayaan-3, the third lunar mission ever by India, had grabbed the attention of over 8.06 million viewers from all over the world, and millions more in India. The smooth landing of the spacecraft was indeed a sight to behold and live streamers were not disappointed. Notably, with Chandrayaan 3, India has become the first country ever to reach the south pole of the moon–this historic feat is a first for all of humanity. Also Read: Top 20 most-liked posts on Instagram
World Cup 2022 Quarter Final: Brazil vs. Croatia
- Channel Name: CazéTV
- Country: Brazil
- Channel Type: Sports and Fitness
The FIFA World Cup 2022 was a grand celebration of football, with fans worldwide turning to their screens to watch every single moment of the matches with rapt attention. Hosted in Qatar, the quarter final stage for the World Cup kicked off on December 9, 2022, with Brazil playing Croatia in the first match. Notably, Croatia defeated Brazil, the darlings of millions of football fans around the world, likely making this one of the most watched live streams of all time.
World Cup 2022: Brazil vs. South Korea
- Channel Name: CazéTV
- Country: Brazil
- Channel Type: Sports and Fitness
This YouTube live stream was again from the FIFA World Cup 2022 hosted in Qatar. While the second most viewed live stream in the world saw Brazil in the quarter finals, this match preceded that one. Brazil played South Korea for a spot in the quarter finals, and the former bested the latter to go on to the next level.Also Read: Top 10 most-viewed videos on YouTube in 2024
CazéTV – Portugal vs. France UEFA EURO 2024
- Channel Name: CazéTV
- Country: Brazil
- Channel Type: Sports and Fitness
When one has the opportunity to watch Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe come head to head at a prestigious competition like UEFA Euro 2024, one would find any means to be a witness to it. Ronaldo spent his golden years at Real Madrid, and Mbappe is considered the next star of the Los Blancos since his move from Paris Saint Germain right after the Euros concluded. The main event on July 6, 2024, was intensely fought as the scoreboard read 0-0. In the penalty shootout, France edged Portugal 5-3 to win a spot in the semifinals.
Vasco da Gama vs Flamengo
- Channel Name: CazéTV
- Country: Brazil
- Channel Type: Sports and Fitness
Football seems to be the live streaming audience’s hot favourite. On number 4, is yet another football match. This one being Rio de Janeiro-based sport club Flamengo beating its rival Vasco da Gama in this particular match from March 2023.Also Read: Top 10 most visited websites in the world
Crew Demo-2
- Channel Name: SpaceX
- Country: The United States of America
- Channel Type: Space Research and Exploration
Space is also extremely popular. The Crew Dragon Demo-2 or Crew Demo-2 was the first ever crewed test flight of the spacecraft called Crew Dragon from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Endeavour, the spacecraft, was launched on May 30, 2020.
Butter by BTS, Official MV
- Channel Name: Hybe Labels
- Country: South Korea
- Channel Type: Entertainment
BTS or the Bangtan Boys is a widely renowned South Korean boy band that was created in 2010. The band is known for popularising K-Pop music in the rest of the world, and Butter in particular is one of their better known songs that went on to draw millions into BTS’s magnetic fandom.
Apple Event
- Channel Name: Apple
- Country: The United States of America
- Channel Type: Technology
Apple Events are one of those days around which a tech enthusiast’s calendar and year is planned. They draw millions of viewers as the iPhone maker reveals new products at these events. This event in particular introduced the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Ultra, AirPods Pro, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro.
Corinthians x São Paulo
- Channel Name: CazéTV
- Country: Brazil
- Channel Type: Sports and Fitness
Both Brazilian teams have matched up more than 300 times. Their clashes are called The Majestic Classic. This rivalry is huge in South Africa, and fans can never predict what will happen on the field. The same electrifying match was played on January 31, 2024. This time São Paulo won 2-0 thanks to goals by Jonathan Calleri and Arthur Sousa.
Depp vs. Heard Trial
- Channel Name: Law & Crime Network
- Country: The United States of America
- Channel Type: News
The John C. Depp vs. Amber Laura Heard trial was held in Fairfax County, Virginia, between April 11 and June 1, 2022. The trial hinged on allegations of defamation, and this live stream in particular was of the final verdict. The entire trial was live streamed. Depp won the case.