Across the largest 2026 benchmark datasets, 40% to 60% of webinar registrants attend, the average B2B event now draws 102 attendees from 251 registrants (Goldcast, 2025 data), and on-demand viewing accounts for about half of all attention (ON24, 2025 data). This page compiles 30 verified figures from six named sources, dates every number, and reconciles the points where the sources disagree.
Key findings
The headline 2026 numbers: registration-to-attendance runs 40% (Goldcast, 2025 data) to 60% (ON24, 2025 data), average B2B attendance doubled to 102 per event (Goldcast, 2025 data), on-demand availability reached 89.1% (Goldcast, 2025 data), and 51% of B2B marketers rank webinars a most-effective channel (CMI/MarketingProfs, 2026). Full list below.
- 60% of registrations converted to attendees on ON24’s platform in 2025, up from 57% in 2024 (ON24 2026 Digital Engagement Benchmarks Report).
- 40% average live attendance rate across 26,190 B2B webinars in 2025, up from 33% in 2024 (Goldcast 2026 B2B Webinar Benchmark Report).
- 102 average attendees per B2B event in 2025, up from 51 the prior year (Goldcast 2026).
- 251 average registrants per B2B event in 2025, up from 238 (Goldcast 2026).
- 89.1% of B2B webinars were made available on demand in 2025, up from 79.9% (Goldcast 2026); on-demand accounts for 50% of ON24 attendees (ON24 2026).
- 91% on-demand completion rate versus 74% for live attendance (Goldcast 2026).
- 49 minutes average live engagement in 2025, down from 51 minutes in 2024 (ON24 2026).
- 56.8 minutes average webinar duration in 2025, median 60 minutes (Goldcast 2026).
- 51% of B2B marketers rank webinars a most-effective channel, second to in-person events at 52% (CMI/MarketingProfs 2026, 1,015 marketers).
- 31.2% of B2B webinars now run as a series, up from 26% (Goldcast 2026).
Registration-to-attendance conversion
Registration-to-attendance ran 40% to 60% in 2025, the widest split among the core metrics. ON24 reported 60% of registrations converting to attendees on its platform, up from 57% in 2024. Goldcast measured a 40% live attendance rate across 26,190 webinars, up from 33% in 2024. The gap is a methodology difference, covered in the synthesis below.
| Source (data year) | Conversion rate | Prior year |
|---|---|---|
| ON24 2026 Digital Engagement Benchmarks (2025) | 60% | 57% (2024) |
| Goldcast 2026 B2B Webinar Benchmark Report (2025) | 40% live | 33% (2024) |
| ON24, live plus on-demand offered (2025) | 53% | Not reported |
Average attendance and audience size
The average B2B webinar drew 102 attendees from 251 registrants in 2025 (Goldcast), double the 51 attendees reported for 2024. ON24’s 2025 report put the cross-industry average at 216 attendees per webinar. The two figures reflect different platform populations, so treat 100 to 220 as the working range for a single B2B event rather than a single point estimate.
| Metric | 2025 data | Prior year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average registrants | 251 | 238 | Goldcast 2026 |
| Average attendees | 102 | 51 | Goldcast 2026 |
| Average attendees (cross-industry) | 216 | 7% YoY growth | ON24 2025 (2024 data) |
Live versus on-demand viewing
On-demand viewing accounted for 50% of all webinar attendees in 2025 (ON24), and 89.1% of B2B webinars were made available on demand, up from 79.9% (Goldcast). On-demand viewers also finished more of the content: 91% completed the recording versus 74% for live attendees (Goldcast). Publishing a replay is now the default, not an afterthought.
Length, timing, and engagement
The average webinar ran 56.8 minutes in 2025 with a 60-minute median (Goldcast), and average live engagement held near 49 minutes (ON24). Short 30-minute formats grew to 15.5% of webinars, up from 13.2% (Goldcast). Midweek still dominates scheduling: Wednesday and Thursday each carried about 30% of Goldcast webinars in 2025.
| Metric | Figure | Source (data year) |
|---|---|---|
| Average duration | 56.8 min (median 60) | Goldcast 2026 (2025) |
| Average live engagement | 49 min | ON24 2026 (2025) |
| 30-minute format share | 15.5% | Goldcast 2026 (2025) |
| Wednesday / Thursday share | 30.5% / 30.0% | Goldcast 2026 (2025) |
| 60-minute registration share | 67% | GoTo Big Book of Webinar Stats |
| Midweek activity share | ~77% | GoTo Big Book of Webinar Stats |
The GoTo figures predate 2025 and are undated in the source, so they sit alongside the newer Goldcast timing data rather than replacing it. Both point the same direction: hour-long, midweek webinars remain the default.
B2B usage and effectiveness
51% of B2B marketers rank webinars a most-effective content channel in 2026, second only to in-person events at 52%, and 59% rate their content marketing effective overall (CMI/MarketingProfs 2026, 1,015 marketers, fieldwork June to August 2025). Adoption stayed high at 55% of B2B marketers using webinars, and 32% planned to increase webinar investment (CMI 2025).
| Metric | Figure | Source (year) |
|---|---|---|
| Rank webinars a most-effective channel | 51% | CMI 2026 |
| In-person events (top channel) | 52% | CMI 2026 |
| Rate content marketing effective overall | 59% | CMI 2026 |
| Use webinars as a channel | 55% | CMI 2025 |
| Plan to increase webinar investment | 32% | CMI 2025 |
Volume grew alongside adoption. Goldcast’s 2026 dataset covered 26,190 webinars (up 34%), 6.8 million registrations (up 94%), and 2.22 million attendees (up 172%) versus the prior year.
Synthesis: reconciling the benchmarks
The one number to plan around is the 40% to 60% conversion band, because it exposes how each source counts. ON24’s 60% is platform-wide and credits any attendance, live or on-demand, across an enterprise base skewed to high-intent audiences. Goldcast’s 40% measures live show-up across a broader mid-market population. Neither is wrong; they answer different questions.
For a working assumption, use 45% to 50% for a typical B2B webinar and reserve 60% for high-intent, list-warmed audiences on an enterprise platform. Add on-demand and the ceiling rises: ON24 saw 53% conversion when both live and on-demand were offered, and half of all attention now lands on the replay.
Treat the doubling of Goldcast’s average attendees (51 to 102) with care. Registrations rose 94% and total attendees 172% in the same window while the analyzed webinar count grew 34%, so the per-event jump reflects a larger, more active dataset as much as any single program’s improvement. The direction is real; the exact multiplier is dataset-dependent.
Methodology and source quality
Every figure on this page carries a named source and a data year. Where a current figure could not be verified against the primary source, the prior figure was kept with its original date and attribution rather than estimated. No number here is invented or interpolated.
The two anchor datasets are platform-reported: Goldcast’s 2026 B2B Webinar Benchmark Report (26,190 webinars, 522 organizations, 6.8 million registrations, 2025 activity) and ON24’s 2026 Digital Engagement Benchmarks (thousands of enterprise customers, 2025 activity). Both reflect their own customer bases, which skew B2B and mid-to-enterprise, so they read high relative to the whole webinar market. The CMI/MarketingProfs data is survey-based (1,015 B2B marketers), not platform telemetry. GoTo’s Big Book figures are undated in the source and treated as directional.
Sources
- Goldcast, 2026 B2B Webinar Benchmark Report (2025 data): goldcast.io
- ON24, 2026 Digital Engagement Benchmarks Report (2025 data): on24.com
- ON24, 2025 Webinar Benchmarks Report (2024 data): on24.com
- CMI / MarketingProfs, B2B Content Marketing 2026 (fieldwork June to August 2025): contentmarketinginstitute.com
- CMI / MarketingProfs, B2B Content Marketing 2025: contentmarketinginstitute.com
- GoTo, Big Book of Webinar Stats: goto.com
Frequently asked questions
What is a good registration-to-attendance rate for a webinar?
Plan for 45% to 50% in 2025 data, with a 40% to 60% range across sources. Goldcast reported 40% live attendance across 26,190 B2B webinars, while ON24 reported 60% of registrations converting to attendees on its platform. Counting on-demand pushes the figure toward the high end (ON24 saw 53% when both formats were offered).
How many people attend the average webinar?
About 102 attendees per B2B event in 2025, from 251 registrants (Goldcast 2026), double the 51 reported for 2024. ON24’s 2025 report put the cross-industry average at 216 attendees. Because the two datasets cover different platforms, treat 100 to 220 as the realistic range for a single B2B webinar.
What share of webinar viewing is on demand?
On-demand accounted for 50% of all webinar attendees in 2025 (ON24), and 89.1% of B2B webinars were published on demand, up from 79.9% (Goldcast 2026). On-demand viewers also completed more of the content, 91% versus 74% for live attendees, so the replay is now half the audience, not a bonus.
How long should a webinar be?
Sixty minutes remains the default: the median B2B webinar ran 60 minutes and averaged 56.8 minutes in 2025 (Goldcast 2026). Short 30-minute formats grew to 15.5% of webinars, up from 13.2%. Average live engagement held near 49 minutes (ON24 2026), so most of an hour-long session is actually watched.
What is the best day to host a webinar?
Midweek. Wednesday carried 30.5% and Thursday 30.0% of B2B webinars in 2025 (Goldcast 2026), and older GoTo data put Wednesday and Thursday at about 26% each with roughly 77% of activity midweek. Volume clusters Tuesday through Thursday, though Goldcast noted higher attendance rates on lighter days like Monday and Friday.
What is the best time of day to host a webinar?
Noon Eastern is the single most popular slot, hosting 16% of all webinars in 2025 (Goldcast 2026). Late morning to early afternoon, roughly 11:00 to 14:00 local time, remains the standard window (ON24). The busiest slot is not always the highest-attendance slot, so test off-peak times against your own list.
How long do attendees actually watch?
Live attendees engaged for about 49 minutes on average in 2025, down slightly from 51 minutes in 2024 (ON24 2026). Completion rates split by format: 74% of live attendees finished the session versus 91% of on-demand viewers (Goldcast 2026). On-demand audiences watch more thoroughly because they control the timing.
How many B2B marketers use webinars?
55% of B2B marketers use webinars as a content channel (CMI 2025), and 51% rank them a most-effective channel in 2026, second only to in-person events at 52% (CMI/MarketingProfs 2026, 1,015 marketers). Webinars sit consistently in the top tier of B2B distribution formats year over year.
Do marketers consider webinars effective?
Yes. 51% of B2B marketers named webinars a most-effective channel in 2026, behind only in-person events at 52% (CMI/MarketingProfs 2026). For context, 59% of B2B marketers rated their content marketing effective overall that year, so webinars outperform the average program’s self-assessed effectiveness.
Are companies investing more in webinars?
32% of B2B marketers planned to increase webinar investment (CMI 2025), and platform data confirms the trend: Goldcast’s 2026 dataset showed webinar volume up 34%, registrations up 94%, and attendees up 172% year over year. Adoption and spend are both rising, not plateauing.
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About the author
Christoph Olivier is the founder of CO Consulting and a fractional CMO. He has managed millions in paid media spend and built owned audiences exceeding one million across social platforms, advising B2B teams on demand generation, webinars, and full-funnel measurement.
Cite this page: CO Consulting. “Webinar Statistics 2026: Attendance, Conversion, and B2B Usage Data.” christopholivierconsulting.com, 2026. https://christopholivierconsulting.com/webinar-statistics/