British media claims that live broadcasts are wildly sought after in China and have penetrated into third-tier cities and remote villages

British media said that China's madness for personal live broadcasts has penetrated into third-tier cities and remote villages, and has become a huge and growing industry. Many people make money from live broadcasts, and many viewers seek free entertainment.

Original title British media focus on China's live broadcast industry: Enthusiastic pursuit goes deep into remote areas

British media said that China's madness about personal live broadcasts has penetrated into third-tier cities and remote villages, and has become a huge and still growing industry. Many people make money from live broadcasts, and many viewers seek free entertainment.

According to a report by the British "Economist" weekly on February 11, last year, 25-year-old Zhao Xinlong moved out of his parents 'farmhouse with his wife and children and moved into a mid-to-high-rise apartment in the town. Adjusting to a new life is very difficult. Luan County is located on the outskirts of Tangshan City, a steel city in China. Zhao Xinlong runs a rental car, and his monthly income is more than half less than a few years ago, and he finds it difficult to make friends after moving to a new home.

But when he goes online at night, he becomes a different person: Zhao Long 'er, an entertainer. Using China video sharing and live streaming apps, he broadcasts live to hundreds of China viewers every night, sometimes thousands. Altogether, the audience has exceeded 100,000.

Occasionally, advertisers would pay him a small amount of money to run commercials, including weight-loss products, on his live videos. Most of his fans come from northeastern China. These fans chatted with him online and sometimes gave him virtual gifts that could be exchanged for cash. The number of rewards awarded by a single netizen is usually small, but the cumulative amount is considerable. Video live streaming of his life can earn Zhao Xinlong about US$850 per month (1 US dollar is equivalent to 6.88 yuan-this website note), which is twice his income from daytime work.

According to the report, thanks to social media, the Internet has expanded people's interest in the world's biggest stars and brought fans closer to them. However, the Internet has also fulfilled the dream of everyone who wants to become a little star in their corner and has close contact with their fan base.

Elsewhere in the world, the most popular among these stars are teen idols on YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat. Most people over the age of 25, except for the well-known Swedish anchor PewDiePie, who has more than 50 million fans around the world, may find it difficult to name a celebrity YouTube anchor.

According to the report, China's enthusiasm for personal video live broadcasts is even deeper, reaching third-tier cities and remote villages. In those places, the Internet is the only entertainment and cheap place to spend time. These personal broadcasts are not just about fans watching videos, but also interactive experiences. Fans make requests, chat with idols, and give them physical gifts. Many of the views are short-term live clips.

Live video streaming is a huge and still expanding business. The size of China's live broadcast industry more than doubled last year. More than 100 companies now provide live broadcast services. In comparison, the box office revenue of China's film industry last year was US$6 billion, the second largest in the world. Nearly half of China's 710 million Internet users use live video software.

Among live anchors, there are more women than men, but most viewers are men. The government has implemented guidance intended to control pornography in the live broadcast industry. The most successful live anchors are often charming young singers, of either sex, who sometimes gather millions of fans. The most famous anchors earn more than US$1 million a year, almost all of which come from in-kind rewards. However, the vast majority of anchors earn hundreds of dollars a month and, at the request of fans, broadcast live their meals, visual pranks, soft tunes, etc.

After the financial crisis, as business models were questioned and Internet companies began to seek new ways to survive, live video services in China gradually emerged.

Now, the live broadcast business model has been proven, and all major Internet giants in China have launched live broadcast services. The first small companies to launch live streaming services had to compete with social platform giants.

Editor: Nancy