The Evolution and Impact of E-Commerce Live Streaming: From Media Convergence to Commercial Innovation

This study provides a comprehensive examination of e-commerce live streaming, tracing its evolution from the convergence of media technologies to its current status as a transformative force in global retail. The research reveals distinct development patterns across global markets, with China emerging as a mature ecosystem, Southeast Asia representing a high-growth emerging market, and Western markets remaining in nascent stages. The study further develops a dual classification system, identifying three streamer-based models (merchant-streaming, celebrity-streaming, and KOL-streaming) and two platform-based categories (e-commerce platform-integrated and social media platform-derived models). The findings highlight the complex interplay of cultural factors and consumer preferences in shaping the adoption and growth of this phenomenon, offering theoretical contributions to media convergence, digital retail transformation, and influencer marketing literature, while providing practical implications for platform operators, brands, streamers, and policymakers.