YouTube accused of beating Korean rivals with ‘stolen’ business model
Critics compare YouTube’s new Super Chat model to Seoul-based live videos treaming site AfreecaTV
By Lee Min-hyung
“One sows and another reaps” seems to be a perfect match for YouTube’s long-term business tactics.
The U.S.-based video streaming giant unveiled last month its plan to start Super Chat, a platform where creators and the company share profits raised from fans who watch live videos from YouTube “stars.”
The arrival of the new revenue stream reflects the ever-growing influence of talented online posters, with multi-channel networks ― such as YouTube ― growing in size and importance as a core venue for advertisers and other business operators in almost all industries.
But the YouTube business model is not the first of its kind, looking almost identical to AfreecaTV’s “star balloon” system.
The Seoul-based live video streaming site adopted the platform in November 2007, allowing users to buy balloon items, which cost 110 won (US$$0.10) apiece. Fans of AfreecaTV hosts then send the balloons to their favourite broadcasting jockeys ― BJs as they are called in Korea ― via a live chat. In return for the monetary support, BJs communicate with their supporters in real-time by reading out their IDs and having brief talks with them via video.