Douyu and Huya are duking it out in billion-dollar race to become China’s Amazon Twitch
- With Twitch banned in China, local start-ups are fighting to take a leading share of streaming in the world’s largest gaming market
Cameras flashed and fans screamed, as Liu Mou stepped into the spotlight on a sweltering summer evening.
In the industrial heartland city of Wuhan, tens of thousands of spectators jam-packed the waterside strip that bore witness to Chairman Mao Zedong’s iconic swims across the Yangtze River half a century ago.
In unison, the mob roared “hubby” – the moniker jokingly assigned to many male celebrities in China – and Liu, 28, waved back with a smirk. The crowd was mostly men.
Their adulation was a testament to Liu’s status – not as marriage material – but as one of the brightest stars among China’s gamers. Liu and his fans were on the waterfront for a carnival celebrating the industry, hosted by one of China’s largest game-streaming companies, Douyu.
Liu is its biggest celebrity. Every day, he spends at least four hours playing League of Legends and other popular titles, streamed to more than 10 million fans. Here, at the carnival, they were getting a chance to see him in person.
For two nights, out of his own pocket, Liu bought dinner for 3,000 of his followers at two nearby restaurants. As he shuttled between tables of noodles and crayfish for selfies, groupies swarmed to pat his rotund belly, and he laughed out loud. It was an endeavour to thank his fans. “I had a hard time taking care of everyone,” he said.