eBay Doubles Down on Live Shopping as GMV Surges 8x and Competition Heats Up

eBay is accelerating its push into live commerce after reporting that gross merchandise volume (GMV) for eBay Live grew approximately eight times year-over-year across seven international markets during the second quarter. The company also highlighted increases in viewership, watch time, and items sold, signaling that its livestreaming initiative is gaining meaningful traction as it seeks to defend market share against fast-rising competitors like Whatnot and TikTok Shop. CEO Jamie Iannone told investors on Wednesday’s earnings call that the results “reinforce our confidence that Live can deepen engagement, broaden discovery, and increase velocity across the broader eBay marketplace.” Yet despite the enthusiastic rhetoric, eBay declined to disclose the actual GMV figure, making it difficult to assess whether this growth represents a transformative new revenue stream or a promising but still-nascent experiment.

What is clear is that eBay views live shopping as a strategic priority, not a side project. Internal data shows that over 90% of sellers who stream regularly have seen their GMV grow, and those using eBay Live sell roughly three times more than non-streaming peers. On the buyer side, first-time shoppers in the collectibles category are spending about 70% more during live events compared to their non-live counterparts. These metrics suggest eBay Live is not only driving incremental sales but also converting new users and increasing basket sizes in high-margin niches where the platform already has deep inventory and community trust.

The timing of this expansion aligns with a broader inflection point in U.S. live commerce. Once dismissed as a China-specific phenomenon, livestream shopping is now being treated as a core channel by major Western platforms. Resale leader StockX recently launched its own live auction feature, while Whatnot has cemented its position as a category-defining player with a valuation exceeding $11 billion. Meanwhile, TikTok Shop is reportedly testing a paid membership program offering free shipping and exclusive discounts, moves designed to lock in both creators and consumers. In this increasingly crowded arena, eBay’s advantage lies in its existing seller base, established logistics infrastructure, and decades of transactional trust. But its challenge is cultural: live shopping thrives on spontaneity, entertainment, and creator-led energy qualities that don’t come naturally to a legacy marketplace built on search-and-browse utility.

eBay appears aware of this gap. After launching eBay Live as an invite-only pilot in the U.S. in 2022 and expanding to beta markets like the U.K. in 2024, the company has now rolled out the feature in Germany, Australia, France, Italy, and Canada. Crucially, last month it moved beyond gated access to offer self-service onboarding for eligible sellers across more than 300 categories, from electronics and fashion to collectibles and home goods. This democratization of access is essential for scaling supply; without a critical mass of active streamers, buyer engagement cannot be sustained. To support this influx, eBay has also rolled out product improvements aimed at reducing friction: enhanced discovery features on the homepage and mobile app, simplified event creation and inventory prep tools, and faster bidding responsiveness to create smoother, more dynamic streams. These updates address common pain points that previously made live selling feel cumbersome compared to native livestream platforms.

Still, questions remain about long-term viability. The lack of absolute GMV disclosure raises eyebrows: an 8x increase off a tiny base could mean $8 million or $800 million a vast difference in strategic significance. Additionally, while collectibles and sneakers are natural fits for live auctions due to scarcity and hype, it’s uncertain whether mainstream categories like apparel or consumer electronics will generate similar urgency. Unlike TikTok or Whatnot, eBay lacks a built-in social graph or algorithmic feed to drive serendipitous discovery; users must actively seek out streams, limiting organic reach. And as competitors invest heavily in creator incentives and gamified experiences, eBay’s more utilitarian approach may struggle to retain attention spans conditioned to entertainment-first shopping.

That said, eBay isn’t trying to replicate TikTok; it’s leveraging its unique strengths. Its live strategy seems calibrated not to win the viral race, but to activate its existing ecosystem in new ways. For niche collectors and resellers, eBay Live offers a familiar environment with added real-time excitement. For buyers, it provides authenticated, vetted transactions with the thrill of live bidding. This hybrid model may never match the explosive growth of pure-play livestream apps, but it could carve out a durable, profitable segment within eBay’s broader marketplace.

As the company prepares to expand eBay Live to additional international markets in the coming months, the next phase will test whether this momentum is sustainable beyond early adopters. Success won’t be measured solely by GMV multiples, but by retention rates, seller satisfaction, and cross-category adoption. In a live shopping landscape rapidly maturing from novelty to necessity, eBay’s bet is that trust and infrastructure matter as much as virality and that sometimes, the best way to compete with the new is to reimagine the old.