https://www.scmp.com/rss/330780/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Amazon.com’s live-streaming site Twitch is poised to cut 35 per cent of its staff, or about 500 workers, according to people familiar with the plans, the latest in a series of job reductions there. The cuts, which could be announced as soon as Wednesday, come amid concerns over losses at Twitch and after several top executives left the company in the span of a few months. A Twitch representative declined to comment. Running a large-scale website supporting 1.8 billion hours of live video content... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3247877/amazons-twitch-cut-500-employees-or-35-staff-soon-january-10-business-remains-unprofitable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3247877/amazons-twitch-cut-500-employees-or-35-staff-soon-january-10-business-remains-unprofitable?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jan 2024 03:15:16 +0000 Baidu’s bid to acquire Joyy’s live-streaming business for China has lapsed, dealing a blow to the search engine and artificial intelligence (AI) giant’s attempt to advance into the digital video arena. The Beijing-based company said its US$3.6 billion deal for Joyy’s YY Live has expired three years after it was unveiled because regulators did not approve the transaction by December 31, according to a Hong Kong stock exchange filing on Monday. The deal was previously slated to close in the first... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3246921/baidus-live-streaming-ambitions-dealt-blow-lapse-us36-billion-deal-buy-joyys-yy-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3246921/baidus-live-streaming-ambitions-dealt-blow-lapse-us36-billion-deal-buy-joyys-yy-live?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jan 2024 15:23:21 +0000 Tencent Holdings is closing its live-streaming service Now, as China’s biggest social media and video gaming company continues to consolidate its video businesses. The seven-year-old live-streaming and short video service will officially cease operations at 11am on December 26 due to “business adjustments”, the company said in a notice posted on the website on Tuesday. Now’s webpage version already stopped live streaming on Tuesday and no longer accepts new registrations, but users can still log... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3243931/tencent-close-live-streaming-service-now-latest-consolidation-move-amid-economic-headwinds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3243931/tencent-close-live-streaming-service-now-latest-consolidation-move-amid-economic-headwinds?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Dec 2023 10:30:14 +0000 Amazon.com on Monday said it would axe another 9,000 roles, piling on to a wave of lay-offs that has swept the technology sector as an uncertain economy forces companies to get leaner. In a remarkable turn for a company that has long touted its job creation, Amazon will have eliminated 27,000 positions in recent months, or 9 per cent of its roughly 300,000-strong corporate workforce. The latest cuts focus on Amazon’s highly-profitable cloud and advertising divisions, once seen as untouchable... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3214232/amazon-deepens-tech-sector-gloom-another-9000-lay-offs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3214232/amazon-deepens-tech-sector-gloom-another-9000-lay-offs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Mar 2023 02:38:29 +0000 The six-week-long lockdown in Shanghai, along with a string of lockdowns in other cities in the surrounding Yangtze River Delta region, has dealt another heavy blow to the region’s once-thriving live-streaming industry after being hit hard by a regulatory crackdown last year. Having been stuck at her Shanghai flat for 40 days straight, 27-year-old professional live-streamer Zhu Cancan said she has mostly given up the job for now. Zhu still sets a morning alarm, but not to get ready for work. She... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3177318/shanghais-covid-19-lockdown-delivers-another-heavy-blow-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3177318/shanghais-covid-19-lockdown-delivers-another-heavy-blow-live?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 May 2022 10:00:25 +0000 China’s regulators have moved to ban minors from participating in the country’s live-streaming industry to protect “their physical and mental health”, the latest in a series of crackdowns on a sector that gained huge popularity amid the coronavirus lockdowns of 2020. The new requirements, issued by four regulators including the National Radio and Television Administration and the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), represent the latest government moves to strengthen minor protection in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3177019/china-restricts-minors-live-streaming-citing-need-improve-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3177019/china-restricts-minors-live-streaming-citing-need-improve-their?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 May 2022 08:00:23 +0000 Kuaishou Technology, operator of China’s second-largest short video-sharing platform, hopes to break even this year, but regulatory risks remain high as Beijing released new restrictions on live streaming. On Tuesday, Beijing published new guidelines to “further regulate profit-making practices in live streaming and promote the healthy development of the industry”. Under the new rules, companies will need to report to provincial tax and cyber authorities the basic information of live streamers... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3172413/short-video-giant-kuaishou-expects-break-even-2022-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3172413/short-video-giant-kuaishou-expects-break-even-2022-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Mar 2022 09:30:13 +0000 Chinese e-commerce hub Zhejiang has released guidelines for live-streamers to further tighten screening of suppliers and products sold via the popular sales channel, amid a government crackdown on faulty goods and tax evasion. The guidelines were released on Monday to “reduce the risks of live-stream e-commerce sourcing in general and to improve standards across the entire industry,” the Zhejiang Daily reported, citing the Zhejiang E-Commerce Association. According to the new guidelines,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3171575/china-e-commerce-hub-zhejiang-issues-live-streaming-quality-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3171575/china-e-commerce-hub-zhejiang-issues-live-streaming-quality-control?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:00:12 +0000 China’s internet watchdog said on Thursday it was determined to “clean up chaos” in short videos, live-streaming services and app algorithms this year, as part of an ongoing crackdown that saw 1.34 billion online accounts closed, 7,200 influencers blocked and 2,160 apps removed last year. The campaign targets issues including bot traffic, live-streaming sessions that attract large tips, teenage influencers, and fake suicides intended to draw attention or lure people into scams, Sheng Ronghua,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3170861/chinas-internet-watchdog-vows-target-chaos-short-videos-and-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3170861/chinas-internet-watchdog-vows-target-chaos-short-videos-and-live?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Mar 2022 14:00:16 +0000 China’s cyberspace watchdog has unveiled new draft rules that will make it harder for Big Tech firms like Tencent Holdings and ByteDance to profit from video gaming, live streaming and social media services targeted at the country’s 180 million internet users under the age of 18. The new draft regulation, published by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on Monday, marks the latest effort by Beijing to shield minors from internet services. China has already banned profit-making in... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3170401/china-tech-crackdown-beijing-tighten-regulation-internet-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3170401/china-tech-crackdown-beijing-tighten-regulation-internet-platforms?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Mar 2022 13:00:24 +0000 Liky Li, a live-streamer based in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, often works between midnight and 8am to pitch music boxes and Harry Potter figurines to online consumers in cities such as London and Manchester, instead of those in local locations like Shenzhen or Shanghai. A former English opera teacher and translator, Li said she is using “Live Shopping on TikTok Shop” – a service under popular short video-sharing platform TikTok – to reach a vast “blue ocean” of unexplored opportunity... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3168385/will-tiktok-become-next-major-cross-border-e-commerce-platform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3168385/will-tiktok-become-next-major-cross-border-e-commerce-platform?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Feb 2022 02:00:21 +0000 Tax authorities in southern Guangdong province have slapped live-streaming star Ping Rong with a 62 million yuan (US$10 million) fine for tax evasion, making her the latest Chinese online influencer to be charged with the offence over the past several months. A popular live-streamer on Kuaishou Technology’s short video-sharing platform, Ping was held liable for tax irregularities in 2019 and 2020, according to a statement on Tuesday by the Guangdong Provincial Tax Service, which is under the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3167996/china-tech-crackdown-authorities-slap-us10-million-fine-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3167996/china-tech-crackdown-authorities-slap-us10-million-fine-live?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Feb 2022 14:00:26 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding said it introduced a cloud-based transmission technology for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, enabling broadcasters to live-stream the games to billions of viewers around the world. Powered by Alibaba Cloud, the new transmission system called Live Cloud is being widely used for the first time by Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) as a standard service to licensed broadcasters, the Hangzhou-based company said on Thursday. OBS was established by the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3167308/alibaba-cloud-pushes-new-transmission-tech-help-broadcasters-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3167308/alibaba-cloud-pushes-new-transmission-tech-help-broadcasters-live?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Feb 2022 00:00:27 +0000 Tencent Holdings Ltd plans to take Douyu International Holdings Ltd private amid disagreements over strategy among executives at the Chinese video game streaming firm, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Tencent, the biggest shareholder in Nasdaq-listed Douyu with a 37 per cent stake, wants to team up with at least one private equity firm for the deal and is currently talking to investment banks, they said. It is aiming to complete the deal this year, said one of the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3165077/tencent-plans-take-us-listed-video-game-streaming-firm-douyu-private?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3165077/tencent-plans-take-us-listed-video-game-streaming-firm-douyu-private?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jan 2022 05:52:25 +0000 China’s most popular short-video app Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok that is also owned by ByteDance, announced a new initiative on Tuesday to support domestic live-streamers who promote traditional culture, a move announced a day after the country’s cyberspace administration announced a campaign to clean up online content during the Lunar New Year holiday. The live-streaming unit of Douyin plans to invest “tens of millions of yuan in cash to help outstanding live-streamers to develop... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3164799/chinese-version-tiktok-promotes-traditional-dance-and-music?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3164799/chinese-version-tiktok-promotes-traditional-dance-and-music?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jan 2022 11:30:17 +0000 The scale of China’s lucrative live-streaming business model – revealed by the 1.34 billion yuan (US$210 million) tax evasion fine for top influencer Huang Wei, known as Viya – has taken ordinary Chinese by surprise. “Is it reasonable for live streamers to earn so much? What’s their contribution to the country apart from persuading customers to buy things they don’t really need?” said one comment on social media platform Weibo. “Poverty limits my imagination,” another said. “I’m a graduate from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3162792/inside-wealth-and-power-chinas-e-commerce-influencers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3162792/inside-wealth-and-power-chinas-e-commerce-influencers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jan 2022 04:00:27 +0000 Chinese video platform Bilibili said it will ban live-streaming of more than 60 video games, including the popular Grand Theft Auto (GTA) series and The Witcher 3 to comply with regulatory guidelines, in the latest sign that companies are falling into line with Beijing’s efforts to purge the domestic gaming industry of content it disapproves of. The live-streaming unit of Bilibili said in a statement on Monday that the decision to ban live-streaming of these games and others such as Heart of... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3162983/china-gaming-crackdown-bilibili-says-violent-titles-such-grand-theft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3162983/china-gaming-crackdown-bilibili-says-violent-titles-such-grand-theft?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jan 2022 14:00:28 +0000 “You need it!” Building to a high-pitched tone, China’s top streamer, the “Lipstick King” Austin Li Jiaqi, is trying to convince his online followers to buy a range of products from tissues to towels and toothpaste. “Oh my god, it’s just for you!” Li says in a live-streamed broadcast on Taobao, China’s largest e-commerce platform. “Grab the coupon. Buy now to secure the best price,” he continues gesturing wildly. “The coupon link is only valid for 30 seconds. All girls go! Go! Go!” Time-limited... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3162732/china-live-stream-sales-success-stretches-wealthy-influencers-savvy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3162732/china-live-stream-sales-success-stretches-wealthy-influencers-savvy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jan 2022 04:00:19 +0000 While the Covid-19 pandemic and US-China tech war have been a drag on some parts of the Chinese economy, one Shenzhen-based web camera maker says business is booming thanks to both these factors. Remo Tech produces 4K cameras with artificial intelligence used to track users to ensure they are always centre-frame. Since launching the Obsbot Tiny camera in November 2020, the company has sold tens of thousands of units and revenue grew threefold over the course of 2021, according to CEO Liu Bo. He... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3162735/chinese-start-bets-ai-webcam-remote-work-era-following-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3162735/chinese-start-bets-ai-webcam-remote-work-era-following-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jan 2022 03:01:03 +0000 China’s finance regulators have proposed new curbs on online marketing for financial products and services in Beijing’s latest efforts to set boundaries between the financial sector and internet platforms. A draft regulation from seven of the country’s regulators, including the People’s Bank of China and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, specifies that only those licensed with “relevant industry qualifications” are allowed to promote financial products and services through... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3161918/china-steps-crackdown-financial-products-promoted-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3161918/china-steps-crackdown-financial-products-promoted-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jan 2022 05:30:12 +0000 Michael Yu Minhong, the founder, chairman and chief executive of New Oriental Education & Technology Group, has added live-streaming e-commerce host to his illustrious career, following Beijing’s crackdown on the country’s once high-flying off-campus education services sector. The 59-year-old education entrepreneur, often described as China’s most famous teacher, hosted his first live-streaming e-commerce session on Tuesday, pitching farm products such as cherries, on Chinese short video... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3161456/china-tech-crackdown-yu-minhong-founder-nations-largest-private-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3161456/china-tech-crackdown-yu-minhong-founder-nations-largest-private-education?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Dec 2021 12:57:35 +0000 A Zhejiang consumer rights watchdog has named and shamed live-streamers including industry heavyweight Li Jiaqi and lectured online shopping platforms such as Taobao over rules violations amid the country’s continued scrutiny of live-streaming e-commerce. The Zhejiang Consumer Council said on Thursday that while monitoring live-streaming e-commerce during the Singles’ Day shopping festival, nearly 30 per cent of broadcasters sampled and 40 per cent of their products sold failed to comply with... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3161036/consumer-rights-group-calls-out-live-streamers-and-platforms-taobao-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3161036/consumer-rights-group-calls-out-live-streamers-and-platforms-taobao-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Dec 2021 04:00:21 +0000 This year will go down as a tough period for Chinese technology firms, as Beijing moved to exert control over the once-freewheeling sector. In the third of a four-part series, the South China Morning Post looks at how 2021 became a turning point in the development of China’s Big Tech companies. Xiang Zikui, a Shenzhen-based woman who works in the gaming division of one of China’s biggest internet companies, says she was shocked to hear about large-scale lay-offs at iQiyi, often dubbed China’s... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3160866/china-2021-tech-crackdown-once-seen-golden-ticket-big-tech-has-shed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3160866/china-2021-tech-crackdown-once-seen-golden-ticket-big-tech-has-shed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Dec 2021 02:00:26 +0000 The sales-pulling power of China’s top e-commerce live-streamers is immense. In a matter of hours, the superstar influencers of the industry can generate revenue equivalent to the annual take of department store chains. The record fine of 1.34 billion yuan (HK$1.6 billion) imposed on one of the most successful and renowned, Viya, for tax evasion, sends a signal to other online celebrities and the companies they work with that they have to be honest. But given the government’s wide-ranging... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3160870/china-must-keep-influencers-honest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/3160870/china-must-keep-influencers-honest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Dec 2021 14:15:20 +0000 Live-streaming stars in China’s e-commerce hubs, spooked by the unprecedented fine levied this week by Hangzhou’s tax bureau on top influencer Viya, are scrambling to repay taxes, according to local media reports, industry insiders, and tax agents. Tax bureaus of 20 provinces and municipalities – including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang –are granting people in the same business as Viya a grace period to pay past-due taxes in return for lighter or waived penalties. Offenders... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3160805/unmerry-christmas-chinas-live-streaming-stars-rushing-repay-taxes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3160805/unmerry-christmas-chinas-live-streaming-stars-rushing-repay-taxes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Dec 2021 13:00:36 +0000 It has been a spectacular fall from grace for Chinese online influencer Viya, who went from being the country’s most bankable live-streaming e-commerce star to a virtual pariah overnight after authorities in the eastern city of Hangzhou slapped her with a record 1.34 billion yuan (US$210 million) fine for tax evasion. One of China’s rare one-name celebrities, Viya – whose real name is Huang Wei –saw her widely followed social media account on microblogging platform Weibo and her online presence... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3160598/who-live-streaming-e-commerce-star-viya-and-how-did-she-become-famous?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3160598/who-live-streaming-e-commerce-star-viya-and-how-did-she-become-famous?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Dec 2021 15:23:31 +0000 China’s harsh punishment of Viya, one of the country’s leading live-streamers, by levying a record fine and erasing her online presence overnight will generate far-reaching consequences for Alibaba Group Holding and the new online shopping trend that has transformed e-commerce in the past few years, analysts say. The online store and social media accounts of Viya, whose real name is Huang Wei, were wiped hours after the Hangzhou tax authority levied fines totalling US$210 million on the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3160579/how-chinas-punishment-viya-has-far-reaching-consequences-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3160579/how-chinas-punishment-viya-has-far-reaching-consequences-live?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Dec 2021 14:00:13 +0000 The recent move by authorities in Hangzhou, China’s eastern e-commerce hub, to name and shame two popular online influencers for tax evasion and then slap both with hefty fines sent shock waves across the country’s live-streaming sector. Zhu Chenhui, known online as Xueli Cherie, and Lin Shanshan have now become the unofficial poster girls of this new campaign, which targets the booming live-streaming segment of China’s vast e-commerce market, where there is a spotty track record of compliance... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3157243/chinas-tech-crackdown-live-streaming-e-commerce-stars-get-reality-check?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3157243/chinas-tech-crackdown-live-streaming-e-commerce-stars-get-reality-check?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Nov 2021 11:10:27 +0000 Netflix’s Squid Game, a violent, dystopian and hugely popular thriller, has already inspired countless Halloween costumes, with DIY tutorials abounding on the internet and costumes flooding Amazon. In the South Korean survival drama, debt-laden contestants play children’s games in the hopes of winning an enormous cash prize, but face lethal consequences if they lose. The show features a handful of simple, recognisable costumes that are easy to replicate, including the green, numbered jumpsuits... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3151912/squid-game-halloween-costumes-get-yours-netflix-shop?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3151912/squid-game-halloween-costumes-get-yours-netflix-shop?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Oct 2021 09:15:15 +0000 After six years, Lucifer stars Tom Ellis and Lauren German are kissing goodbye to their devil-and-detective double act. They’ve been solving crimes together on the show that started on Fox, was cancelled and rose again (thanks to fan support) on Netflix. The final 10 episodes are now on the streaming service and the two leads are feeling nostalgic. “We finished shooting the series completely, so the nostalgia has been creeping in more and more,” German says. “There are so many lovely memories.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3148253/nostalgic-stars-lucifer-netflix-stars-promise-good-slash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3148253/nostalgic-stars-lucifer-netflix-stars-promise-good-slash?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Sep 2021 18:30:25 +0000 Taobao Live, the live-streaming platform for merchants on Alibaba Group Holding’s online marketplace Taobao, has set ambitious plans for the year after generating over 400 billion yuan (US$61.7 billion) in gross merchandise volume (GMV) in 2020, despite rising regulatory scrutiny on the live-streaming e-commerce sector. Taobao Live saw its number of daily active users and live-streamers grow 100 per cent and 661 per cent respectively from 2019 to 2020, according to a statement released by... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3131447/alibabas-taobao-live-reports-over-us60-billion-gmv-2020-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3131447/alibabas-taobao-live-reports-over-us60-billion-gmv-2020-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Apr 2021 10:00:02 +0000 China’s internet watchdog and six other regulators have jointly released new rules to regulate live streaming in the country’s booming e-commerce sector, set to go into effect on May 25, in Beijing’s latest move to tighten oversight of the powerful digital economy. Live-streaming service providers will be required to create a list specifying the categories of products and services that are either unlawful or unsuited for sales through live-streaming, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC)... https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3130942/chinese-regulators-tighten-grip-live-streaming-e-commerce-intensifying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3130942/chinese-regulators-tighten-grip-live-streaming-e-commerce-intensifying?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Apr 2021 10:23:03 +0000 Live-streaming service Twitch will ban users for offences such as hate-group membership or credible threats of mass violence that occur entirely away from the site in a new approach to moderating the platform. The Amazon-owned platform – which is primarily used for watching people play video games but also pop concerts and even football matches – said under its new rules it would take enforcement actions against offline offences that posed a “substantial safety risk” to its community. It said... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3128912/echoing-its-donald-trump-ban-twitch-punish-users-platform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3128912/echoing-its-donald-trump-ban-twitch-punish-users-platform?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Apr 2021 12:15:13 +0000 Guangzhou, the capital of southern Chinese province of Guangdong, is stepping up efforts to catalyse the cosmetics and skincare industry and compete with brands from global leaders in the US$52 billion home market. The city is building a 10.22-sq km “Beauty and Healthcare Industrial Park” in the Baiyun district to generate synergies by bringing together local players in one location, according to the Baiyun District Science, Industry, Commerce and Information Technology Bureau. Construction... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3128935/guangzhou-prepares-loreal-estee-lauder-onslaught-beauty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3128935/guangzhou-prepares-loreal-estee-lauder-onslaught-beauty?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Apr 2021 05:30:14 +0000 Beijing-based ByteDance, the world’s most valuable start-up at US$400 billion, is wooing merchants to its premier short-video platform by touting the benefits of selling on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, in a bid to challenge the country’s larger online retail platforms. The platform, Douyin E-commerce, staged its first official “ecosystem conference”, an offline event that puts the ByteDance-owned platform on a collision course with Chinese e-commerce giants Pinduoduo, JD.com and... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128790/chinas-e-commerce-shake-tiktok-sister-app-douyin-woos-merchants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3128790/chinas-e-commerce-shake-tiktok-sister-app-douyin-woos-merchants?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Apr 2021 10:13:18 +0000 Tencent Holdings’ super app WeChat has reinforced its short video-sharing and live-streaming functions, according to the latest update of the multipurpose social media platform, amid increased competition from Douyin, the Chinese version of ByteDance-owned TikTok. WeChat, which had 1.2 billion monthly active users (MAUs) in the December quarter, doubled the video length for its Instagram-style WeChat Moment service to 30 seconds, from the previous 15 seconds, under its new version 8.0.3. This... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3127510/tencent-super-app-wechat-beefs-short-video-sharing-live-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3127510/tencent-super-app-wechat-beefs-short-video-sharing-live-streaming?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Mar 2021 16:00:09 +0000 China’s disgraced “king of live-streaming sales” made a big comeback on Saturday when he sold more than US$300 million worth of goods in a single show lasting 12 hours, a record for streaming platform Kuaishou, showcasing the market potential of live-streaming e-commerce after growing in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Kuaishou is Xinba’s live-streaming platform of choice and China’s second-most popular short-video site after ByteDance’s Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. The... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3127332/comeback-king-chinas-disgraced-live-streaming-sales-king-sells-12?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3127332/comeback-king-chinas-disgraced-live-streaming-sales-king-sells-12?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Mar 2021 10:00:18 +0000 When her friend showed up with three new blind boxes from Pop Mart International Group in late 2020, 25-year-old Zhou Yilei had an exhilarating choice ahead of her: pick one to open herself and find out which collectable figurine was inside. Would she discover a rare and highly coveted character or another run-of-the-mill one? “I found myself holding all kinds of expectations: ‘Which one is it? Would it be the one I liked?’ The expectation and the gambling-like feeling hit their peak as you... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3127106/after-pop-mart-ipo-blind-boxes-are-helping-chinas-tech-giants-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3127106/after-pop-mart-ipo-blind-boxes-are-helping-chinas-tech-giants-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Mar 2021 00:00:14 +0000 DouYu and Huya, China’s top game video-streaming sites backed by internet giant Tencent Holdings, said they are still on track to merge just three months after the country’s antitrust watchdog flagged concerns about the deal. First revealed last October, the planned tie-up of New York-listed Huya and Nasdaq-listed DouYu under Tencent’s live-streaming unit Penguin Esports would merge more than 300 million users, bringing the platforms’ combined market share to nearly 90 per cent in the country,... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3126768/tencent-backed-douyu-still-wants-merge-huya-despite-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3126768/tencent-backed-douyu-still-wants-merge-huya-despite-government?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Mar 2021 09:00:17 +0000 Kuaishou Technology, operator of China’s second largest short video-sharing platform, posted a 52.7 per cent revenue increase in the December quarter to beat market estimates in the company’s first earnings report since going public in Hong Kong, but higher expenses pushed it further into the red. Beijing-based Kuaishou reported revenue of 18.1 billion yuan (US$2.8 billion) last quarter, up from 11.8 billion yuan a year earlier, to surpass the 10.9 billion yuan market estimate. That growth was... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3126661/short-video-giant-kuaishou-beats-revenue-estimates-first-quarterly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3126661/short-video-giant-kuaishou-beats-revenue-estimates-first-quarterly?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Mar 2021 11:21:00 +0000 Japanese animation is in fast motion. International media companies hungry for intellectual property could set off a gluttonous feeding frenzy like the famous one depicted in Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning anime Spirited Away, one of the highest-grossing films in Japanese history.  Anime, Japan’s most popular cultural export, stretches back a century but is gaining fresh appeal amid a cutthroat quest for content. Overseas anime markets are poised to overtake the domestic market for the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3121528/anime-streaming-wars-japanese-films-gain-fans-worldwide-sony?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3121528/anime-streaming-wars-japanese-films-gain-fans-worldwide-sony?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Feb 2021 10:15:15 +0000 In 2018, when China’s live-streaming industry was growing at lightning speed, Huang Xiaobing thought her one-year career as an online live broadcaster had hit a bottleneck. So she decided to start an agency in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin focused on entertainment live-streaming. The company managed online broadcasters who sang, danced or chatted with audiences in return for virtual gifts that could be converted to money. The agency took a cut. In her new role, she helped the aspiring... https://www.scmp.com/tech/fake-viewers-fake-transactions-big-business/article/3112246?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/fake-viewers-fake-transactions-big-business/article/3112246?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Dec 2020 10:41:19 +0000 Chinese video platforms are taking steps to regulate online eating shows after state media criticism of food waste. https://www.scmp.com/china/are-chinas-online-eating-shows-under-threat/article/3097610?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/are-chinas-online-eating-shows-under-threat/article/3097610?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2020 10:07:23 +0000 It’s 9 pm in Beijing, and fitness blogger Liu Shaodong is glued to his phone in his cramped 200-square-foot studio apartment. He’s watching a live feed of a farmer hawk cured beef in Heilongjiang Province, over 800 miles away. With one click, Liu adds 200 grams of salted topside to his shopping cart. Seconds later, the farmer is weighing the order right before Liu’s eyes. The fitness blogger is not alone. Thousands of others are also tuned into the stream on Taobao Live, a Chinese app that... https://www.scmp.com/culture/china-rural-influencer/article/3096519?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/china-rural-influencer/article/3096519?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2020 09:55:39 +0000 Live streaming is driving a bigger share of online consumption in China and now a local authority has gone one step further by offering people rewards if they can make a success of it. Guangzhou, the birthplace of China’s ubiquitous social media platform WeChat, has announced an incentive plan to boost ecommerce live streaming development in the city, aimed at fostering new influencer stars and helping it become China’s live streaming capital. The government of Huadu District in Guangzhou is... https://www.scmp.com/tech/can-birthplace-wechat-become-live-streaming-capital-china/article/3088445?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/can-birthplace-wechat-become-live-streaming-capital-china/article/3088445?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jun 2020 11:14:15 +0000 Hatsune Miku, a popular virtual idol and singer from Japan, has joined Alibaba’s Taobao as an ambassador for this year’s 618 midyear shopping festival, as live streaming continues to take a bigger slice of online consumption in China. Users of the ecommerce platform will be able to use their own virtual images generated on Taobao to chat, dance, or take photos together with Miku, according to a post on Taobao’s Weibo account on Monday. Miku has already ranked as one of the most popular... https://www.scmp.com/culture/hatsune-miku-joins-chinas-live-streaming-ecommerce-craze/article/3088204?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/hatsune-miku-joins-chinas-live-streaming-ecommerce-craze/article/3088204?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jun 2020 10:05:05 +0000 Sales on Taobao Live, the live streaming platform for merchants using Alibaba’s Taobao marketplace, hit 2 billion yuan (US$280 million) just 90 minutes after the midyear shopping festival officially launched at midnight on June 1. During this year’s so-called 618 midyear shopping festival, over 300 celebrities including singers and actors will join live-streaming sessions on Taobao Live while 600 company presidents will use the platform to sell their products, according to a post published... https://www.scmp.com/tech/taobao-live-streaming-rakes-us280-million-90-minutes-sales-festival-kicks/article/3087011?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/taobao-live-streaming-rakes-us280-million-90-minutes-sales-festival-kicks/article/3087011?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2020 14:00:16 +0000 This article originally appeared on ABACUS Have you ever wished it was easier to jump into a live-streaming video after paying for your Starbucks latte? Alipay is now making your wish come true. Like many apps in the country, the mobile payment platform has decided to cash in on China’s popular and lucrative live-streaming ecommerce trend. (Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba, an affiliate of Alipay owner Ant Financial.) On Thursday, Alipay added a mini... https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3086545/alipay-joins-live-streaming-ecommerce-trend-mini-program?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/abacus/news-bites/article/3086545/alipay-joins-live-streaming-ecommerce-trend-mini-program?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2020 10:37:54 +0000 Have you ever wished it was easier to jump into a live-streaming video after paying for your Starbucks latte? Alipay is now making your wish come true. Like many apps in the country, the mobile payment platform has decided to cash in on China’s popular and lucrative live-streaming ecommerce trend. (Abacus is a unit of the South China Morning Post, which is owned by Alibaba, an affiliate of Alipay owner Ant Financial.) On Thursday, Alipay added a mini program inside the app that lets users tune... https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/alipay-joins-live-streaming-ecommerce-trend-mini-program/article/3086512?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china-tech-city/alipay-joins-live-streaming-ecommerce-trend-mini-program/article/3086512?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2020 10:37:52 +0000 China’s official news agency has criticized local government officials for using live-streamed shopping events as publicity stunts to try and improve their own image, pointing out that the original purpose of the ecommerce initiative was to help small merchants and farmers during the coronavirus pandemic. Some officials, who jumped on the live-streaming bandwagon to sell local products on behalf of farmers, were even paying viewers to praise their good looks and personalities during their live... https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinese-officials-get-flak-paying-live-streaming-viewers-praise-them/article/3085052?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/chinese-officials-get-flak-paying-live-streaming-viewers-praise-them/article/3085052?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2020 11:04:24 +0000