Sina Weibo, China’s biggest social media platform, will launch live streaming platform Yi Zhibo as a function on its platform on Friday.
Yixia Technology, Yi Zhibo’s parent company, created Miaopai, a popular short video shooting and sharing app, which is also Weibo’s only official video streaming partner.
Yi Zhibo was launched in January. Users can now broadcast live videos through the Yi Zhibo app, through Weibo, and also directly through Miaopai and another short video social network launched by the same parent company.
The unparalleled advantage of this live streaming platform is of course Weibo’s celebrity users. Miaopai has reportedly accumulated more than 2,000 celebrity and KOL users.
According to statistics, there are 116 live streaming apps right now, 69 of which have emerged since 2014. The majority of these apps have landed funding. But in general, apps that are built upon a huge fan base or are backed by a big company look more promising than independent apps like Inke.tv. And pan-entertainment mobile live streaming apps are surpassing those storied live-streaming sites filled with pretty girls delivering shows.
Big companies that have launched, invested in or acquired a live streaming platform include Tencent, Xiaomi, Sina Corp, Qihoo 360. Video streaming sites like Youku Tudou, iQiyi, and LeTV have done the same, and so have listed companies like YY Inc, 9158.com and 6.cn.
Tencent, the largest game publisher in China, has invested in two gaming live streaming platforms Longzhu.com and Douyu TV, and recently launched its own Qi’e TV platform focusing on sports live streaming. Xiaomi also has its own MiLive platform, on which Lei Jun, the founder of Xiaomi, personally broadcasts. His latest live stream on Tuesday drew more than 200,000 viewers.
Momo, the third largest social network in China, not only added live streaming as a major function in the mobile app and its web version, but also launched an independent app called Hani Zhibo. This social network for strangers uses live streaming to draw in more new users and to get users to spend more time on its app. Youku Tudou, which was acquired by Alibaba, has a live streaming site called Laifeng.com, which was launched in April 2015. Its resources in live streaming variety shows gives it an edge. LeEco, which has made a huge effort to develop its sports arm LeSports, acquired sports live streaming platform Zhangyu TV using RMB 300 million in January.
Another active player is of course Wang Sicong, who we have written about many times. The Taiwan live streaming app 17, which recently saw a revival in mainland China, has received investment from him. Wang, who has built an e-sports empire by making investments, also has his own gaming live streaming app called Panda TV.
(Both pictures are screenshots from App Store)
