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Beginning this week, Amazon will start airing three new Prime video pilots on its streaming platform, Twitch.

While Twitch caters to gamers, allowing them to live stream their game play, a more diverse array of TV content is coming to the platform, and will be housed on the the Twitch Presents channel.

The three shows are already part of Amazon’s spring 2017 pilot season, and will air back-to-back continuously over 24 hours.

Here are a few observations:

This provides a testing ground for new originals. Amazon will take responses and feedback from Twitch users to help determine the next Amazon original series. Twitch allows users to react and comment on videos in real-time, and can serve as test-bed for new content on the horizon.

Twitch has a large, engaged, tech-savvy audience. Twitch's monthly audience of 100 million people is predominantly male (75%) and young (73% are 18-49 years old). The average user watches 106 minutes of video per day and nearly half of users watch 20 hours or more per week. While the audience is highly engaged, feedback could be biased based on the particular interests of their gaming demographic. However, Twitch can refine the strategy with their existing user base, and apply these insights to target users beyond gamers.

These pilots help to diversify the content on Twitch. While Twitch’s popularity was initially fueled by gaming content, the platform is increasingly adding new categories of video content, including art, cooking and anime, according to The Drum.

Amazon is creating more niche channels. Earlier this year, Amazon launched its first branded video channel for Prime members in the US, according to TechCrunch. Called “Anime Strike,” the latest addition to the over 100 channels already offered on the platform is solely dedicated to Japanese animation. The pilot testing with Twitch can be used to vet content categories, and build more similar channels that are catered to niche audiences.

If 2015 was the year that brands and advertisers embraced online video, then 2016 saw the medium take the next step as live streaming took off.

Live streaming video refers to broadcasts in real time to an audience over the internet. While the concept of live streaming has been around for years, mobile-first video platforms with user-generated content have just recently begun to make serious waves thanks to improved video quality, faster broadband speeds, and enhanced mobile technology.

Online video has become a key part of the strategic business model for both brands and marketers as they seek more innovative ways to capture consumer attention. Creative live streaming video initiatives and campaigns are a way for companies to cut through the digital clutter and have emerged as the medium of choice not only for person-to-person sharing, but also for business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) communication.

Brands are increasingly using live streaming to reach audiences. Its importance has grown significantly thanks to substantial investments by social platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and Twitter to build and enhance their live-streaming platforms.

And advertising dollars are likely to follow. 88% of agency respondents stated that they “might” or “definitely will” invest in live stream video advertising over the next six months, according to a recent Trusted Media Brands survey.

BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on live streaming video that examines the eruption of online video from the perspective of both consumers and advertisers and assesses how live streaming is emerging as the medium's next catalyst for growth.

Here are some key points from the report:

Live streaming video will further accelerate streaming videos overall share of internet traffic. Streaming video accounts for over two-thirds of all internet traffic, and this share is expected to jump to 82% by 2020, according to Cisco’s June 2016 Visual Networking Index report.

Live video’s value comes from its unique ability to add an authentic human element to digital communications. As a result, brands are leveraging three main streaming methods to connect with their viewers: tutorials, product launches, and exclusive and behind-the-scene footage.

Advertisers will continue to invest heavily in online video, especially as live streaming video gains traction. Already in the US, digital video ad revenue reached $7.8 billion in 2015, up 55% from 2014, according to figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau.

While live streaming is still in its early stages, brands are leveraging micropayments, mid-roll video ads and direct payments from social platforms, to monetize their live streaming videos.

The success of live streaming video hinges on brands overcoming a lack of measurement standards in the space, as well as changes in social media sites' algorithms that affect what content users see.

In full, the report:

Examines the eruption of live streaming video.

Explores the differences between platforms that host live streaming video.

Breaks down successful approaches from both brands and publishers.

Discusses unique monetization opportunities live streaming presents.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:

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The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of live streaming video.