Live Commerce in Southeast Asia 2026

Content commerce now accounts for 37% of Southeast Asia's platform ecommerce GMV, up from 20% two years ago. At its current trajectory, it is on track to reach US$77.9 billion in 2026.

Live is the most widely adopted entry point into content commerce, and for many established brands it works today. The harder question is how durable today's returns are. Performance varies significantly by category, platforms still shape traffic and incentives, and AI is beginning to reduce the cost and complexity of running live. Brands therefore need to decide not only how aggressively to invest in live today, but what capabilities will still matter as the channel matures.

Live Commerce in Southeast Asia 2026 is Momentum Works' decision-support report for leaders assessing the next phase of live and content commerce: the scale of content commerce in the region, the durability of current live economics, and how the market may evolve as platforms, operating models and technology change.

Built on Momentum Works' ongoing ecosystem research and operator-level conversations across the region, the report connects market sizing with platform strategy and the operating realities facing brands and ecosystem players. This report extends Momentum Works' long-running ecommerce coverage into the content-commerce layer.

What this report covers:

• Momentum Works' latest estimates of Southeast Asia's content commerce GMV and its contribution to overall platform ecommerce;
• How live commerce performance differs by category, and how sustainable today's returns are; 
•  How AI is changing the economics and operating model of live commerce; 
•  How brands should think about live alongside short video, affiliates and other content commerce formats;
• The key platform types in content commerce - content-first, commerce-first, pure content - and how their strategic priorities differ;
• How China can - and cannot - be used as a reference market for Southeast Asia.

This report is designed for decision-makers including:

• Executives and leadership teams
• Strategy, ecommerce, marketing and regional teams
• Investors and funds
• Founders and operators building content commerce capabilities in Southeast Asia

How leaders use this report:

• To assess the case for further investment in live commerce while current returns remain attractive;
• To compare live performance and operating models across categories and platforms;
• To decide how live should fit alongside short video, affiliates and other content commerce formats;
• To draw relevant lessons from China without assuming Southeast Asia will follow the same path.