Catawiki Live turns the final 90 minutes of selected auctions into a live, seller-hosted stream, creating a more interactive and community-first experience for buyers and sellers
Launched in Pokémon cards, one of Catawiki’s top five fastest growing categories, with plans to expand into Fashion and Toys
Early results point to strong engagement, with hundreds of viewers per live stream and one in four sold objects in Catawiki Live auctions won through the stream
Amsterdam, 5 May 2026 - Catawiki, the leading online marketplace for special objects, today announces the launch of Catawiki Live, a new feature that brings live streaming to online auctions. During the final 90 minutes of selected auctions, sellers can present objects live, answer questions and engage directly with buyers as bidding unfolds in real time.
Catawiki Live adds a new layer of interaction to Catawiki’s existing auction model, where over 100,000 special objects are offered every week to millions of buyers and sellers across Europe. Objects are auctioned as usual in Catawiki’s online auctions, giving collectors time to discover, follow and bid before the final 90 minutes become a live, seller-hosted stream. Buyers can see the object presented in real time, ask questions and get more context before bidding, while sellers gain a more engaging way to showcase special objects, bring their stories to life and build interest at the most exciting stage of the auction. Those not watching the stream can still bid as usual from the object page. As with every object on Catawiki, those featured in Catawiki Live are reviewed and selected by in-house experts.
With this launch, Catawiki taps into the rise of live shopping, a fast-growing format projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2026. The trend is largely driven by younger generations seeking experiences that combine entertainment, authenticity and real-time interaction, with 15% of Gen Z reporting watching live shopping once a week. The feature debuted in Pokémon cards, one of Europe’s fastest-growing collectables markets, valued at around €12.5 billion in 2025, and one of Catawiki’s top five most trending categories, with global sales on the platform up 70% year on year in 2025, mainly driven by a younger community: 60% of buyers and more than 50% of sellers were born after 1990.
Early results already point to strong potential. Catawiki Live has so far attracted hundreds of viewers per stream. In auctions featuring the format, one in four sold objects has been won through the live stream itself, while also drawing more bidders per object than the platform average. Catawiki plans to expand the live format into additional categories, including Fashion and Toys, while adding new features designed to make the experience even more interactive and engaging.
“We are seeing a clear shift in how people want to shop and collect. More and more, they are moving towards experiences that feel more immediate, more interactive and more community-driven. Catawiki auctions are already engaging by nature: people follow the bidding, decide what an object is worth to them and take part in the excitement of the final moments. With Catawiki Live, we’re building on that by adding more interaction and a stronger sense of community. It is an exciting way to bring millions of people across Europe closer to the categories they love, while responding to growing demand from younger generations for more immersive and social shopping experiences” said Genevieve Tearle, VP Collectables at Catawiki.
