Live streaming entertainment is taking the virtual world by storm
whether it’s sports
gaming
or even pets
But many live streaming platforms face challenges to stay afloat
particularly in China, where live streaming personalities, or “hosts”, earn income through monetary gifts from fans
These gifts are shared with both the live streaming platform
and host unions—collectives designed to help hosts boost viewer retention
Some of the biggest challenges are related to content
Platforms must ensure that broadcasts are politically, socially, and ethically appropriate for both hosts and viewers
while entertaining enough to capture a big audience
Other challenges concern the relationships among hosts, host unions, and platforms
Stiff competition for viewership has translated to long work hours for hosts with little dedicated mentorship from unions
as well as growing distance between hosts and their supporting platforms
Nurturing healthy stakeholder relationships could be the key to sustainably producing content that is appropriate and engaging for all
Chen and Xiong. "The Business Model of Live Streaming Entertainment Services in China and Associated Challenges for Key Stakeholders." IEEE Access (2019)