Webinars are proving to be an increasingly powerful tool for B2B marketers, according to ON24’s newly released 2025 Webinar Benchmarks Report. The analysis, based on data from millions of professionals engaging with ON24-powered events, highlights a rise in webinar attendance, greater demand for on-demand viewing, and the growing impact of AI and personalization on conversions.
The report found that the average webinar audience grew by 7% in 2024, reaching 216 attendees per session. Notably, the average engagement time remained high at 51 minutes, demonstrating the format’s ability to hold attention despite the growing prevalence of shorter-form digital content.
On-Demand Viewing Gains Traction
While live webinars remain popular, on-demand viewing continues to gain ground. In 2024, 45% of attendees opted to watch sessions on-demand, reflecting broader shifts toward flexible content consumption in the remote and hybrid work era. According to the report, making webinars available on-demand by default can increase total viewership by as much as 80%.
AI and Automation Drive Efficiency and Impact
Artificial intelligence is becoming a core element of webinar strategies. ON24 found that the use of AI to create promotional content, such as event titles and email copy, rose by 72% in 2024. Meanwhile, post-event content creation—such as turning webinars into articles or e-books—grew by 3.5X. More significantly, audience engagement with AI-generated content outpaced its production, with article views increasing by over 7X by the end of the year.
Automation is also improving the efficiency of follow-ups. Companies using automated nurture sequences (which send post-webinar links to related content) saw 69% higher on-demand audience numbers compared to those that did not.
Personalization Boosts Conversions
The report underscores the growing importance of personalization in driving meaningful results. Marketers using personalized landing pages saw 3X more registrations, while personalized calls-to-action (CTAs) led to 4X more demo bookings. This indicates that tailoring content to individual audience preferences significantly enhances lead generation effectiveness.
“The data clearly shows that B2B marketing is entering a new era where AI and personalization are not just nice-to-haves but essential drivers of success,” said Mark Bornstein, VP of Marketing, ON24.
First-Party Data as a Competitive Advantage
With growing privacy concerns and the decline of third-party cookies, first-party data collected through webinars is becoming increasingly valuable. Marketers using engagement insights—such as interactions with polls, questions, and downloads—are better positioned to create targeted follow-ups and nurture campaigns.
Why It Matters for Marketers
For B2B marketers, the report highlights clear opportunities. Webinars remain a trusted, high-performing format, but their effectiveness now depends heavily on personalization, automation, and AI-powered efficiency. As more companies adopt these strategies, those that fail to do so risk falling behind.
Moreover, the trend toward on-demand consumption signals that flexibility is key. Marketers who prioritize evergreen content experiences, repurpose webinar materials, and leverage AI for scale will be better equipped to meet changing audience expectations in 2025.
As digital engagement evolves, the report signals a clear mandate for marketers: invest in platforms that enable personalization, automation, and rich interactivity. With webinar attendance and AI-driven content consumption rising, organizations that adapt stand to gain a competitive edge in capturing attention and driving revenue.