Real-time streaming players intensify entertainment race

Youku Tudou is diversifying its offerings beyond concerts to tap into the sector, increasingly referred to as "fan economics". And it proves fans are interested in more than just star events and various performances.

Youku's Topic Studio program brings newsmakers to debate the current affairs in which they're involved before the camera.

In one episode, creator of the popular Smartisan phone Luo Yonghao tries to defend his claims about his smartphone's functionality in a three-hour debate with Zealer Technology's founder Wang Ziru who believed Luo had overstated the phone's capabilities.

Another hot episode features a blind crab tasting and debate between two Internet celebrities with opposing viewers as to whether one could tell, simply by tasting, whether or not a hairy crab is from the Yangcheng Lake, China's most celebrated hairy crab source.

Both episodes attracted over 300,000 viewers, while millions of others discussed them on social network platforms.

A plus of live online broadcasting is that these programs can be repeatedly viewed afterward, says Du Zezhuang, a TV industry observer and founder of the consultancy Ze Media.

A-mei's Aug 31 live concert on Tencent, for example, had been viewed 28 million times by Sept 25.

"The so-called fans economics prove very effective in attracting a large audience base in a short time. But it's not necessarily sustainable," Du says.

"To draw regular audiences in the long run, video websites still have to focus on 'internal work'. That is, for instance, they must skilfully plan programs and remain sensitive to understanding what's hot among netizens."