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The Conversation
The Conversation
Chetan Jaiswal, Associate Professor of Computer Science, Quinnipiac University

How millions of people can watch the same video at the same time – a computer scientist explains the technology behind streaming

The men's cricket World Cup final match between Australia and India on Nov. 19, 2023, had a peak of 59 million concurrent streaming viewers. AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool

Live and on-demand video constituted an estimated 66% of global internet traffic by volume in 2022, and the top 10 days for internet traffic in 2024 coincided with live streaming events such as the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match and coverage of the NFL. Streaming enables seamless, on-demand access to video content, from online gaming to short videos like TikToks, and longer content such as movies, podcasts and NFL games.

The defining aspect of streaming is its on-demand nature. Consider the global reach of a Joe Rogan podcast episode or the live coverage of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft launch – both examples demonstrate how streaming connects millions of viewers to real-time and on-demand content worldwide.

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