Summary of China's Streaming Market
Core Content
China's streaming market is distinct from the West due to its unique monetization models, content strategies, and audience engagement practices. The market is heavily influenced by the mobile-first culture and traditional collectivist values, which shape how users interact with streamers and how platforms operate.
Main Points
- Monetization Model: Unlike Western platforms that rely on subscriptions and ads, Chinese platforms primarily earn revenue from user donations. Streamers typically receive 30-40% of these donations, with the rest going to the platform and streaming guilds.
- Streaming Guilds: These act as celebrity management companies, recruiting, training, and promoting streamers. They play a crucial role in boosting streamer earnings and user engagement.
- Content Focus: Entertainment content is more popular than game content in China. Platforms like YY Live, Huya, and Douyu focus on both games and entertainment, with the former being more entertainment-centric.
- User Engagement: Bullet chats, a feature popularized by Bilibili, are a key interaction tool in Chinese streaming. These chats foster a sense of community and social bonding.
- Mobile Dominance: Mobile gaming is the largest segment in China's streaming market. Mobile-first platforms like Huoshan and Inke have seen significant growth.
- Tencent's Influence: Tencent is a dominant force in the Chinese streaming ecosystem, owning stakes in major platforms and publishing many of the top-streamed games.
- Female Streamers: Female streamers are more popular and receive higher donations in China due to the emphasis on gender balance and the less toxic environment.
Key Information
Top Streaming Platforms in China (by User Donations in 2018)
| Rank |
Platform |
Content Focus |
User Donations |
| 1 |
YY Live |
Entertainment |
$1,518M |
| 2 |
Huya |
Games |
$646M |
| 3 |
Huoshan |
Entertainment |
$542M |
| 4 |
Inke |
Entertainment |
$458M |
| 5 |
Douyu |
Games |
$433M |
| 6 |
Huajiao |
Entertainment |
$217M |
| 7 |
Kuaishou |
Entertainment |
$169M |
| 8 |
PandaTV |
Games |
$167M |
| 9 |
Fanxing |
Entertainment |
$134M |
| 10 |
KKTV |
Entertainment |
$116M |
Top Streamer Guilds in China (by Business Value in 2018)
| Rank |
Guild |
Content Focus |
Business Value |
Donations in 2018 |
Active Streamers |
| 1 |
BGOOSE |
(Mobile) Games |
$173M |
$21M |
1,378 |
| 2 |
Aipai |
Games |
$133M |
$34M |
442 |
| 3 |
xRock |
Games |
$128M |
$17M |
878 |
| 4 |
YW Media |
Games |
$107M |
$27M |
4,870 |
| 5 |
Wudi Media |
Entertainment |
$105M |
$72M |
246 |
| 6 |
China Blue |
Entertainment |
$101M |
$78M |
685 |
| 7 |
Famulei |
Games |
$78M |
$15M |
40 |
| 8 |
Elephant |
Games |
$73M |
$19M |
863 |
| 9 |
Yujia |
Combined |
$71M |
$40M |
213 |
| 10 |
AO |
Games |
$68M |
$19M |
515 |
Top 10 Games in China (by Number of Streams in 2018)
| Rank |
Game |
Platform |
Publisher |
Number of Streams |
| 1 |
Honor of Kings |
Mobile |
Tencent |
42.0M |
| 2 |
PUBG Mobile |
Mobile |
Tencent |
20.7M |
| 3 |
PUBG |
PC |
Tencent |
10.0M |
| 4 |
League of Legends |
PC |
Tencent |
9.6M |
| 5 |
CrossFire Mobile |
Mobile |
Tencent |
4.5M |
| 6 |
PUBG - Full Ahead |
Mobile |
Tencent |
3.6M |
| 7 |
CrossFire |
PC |
Tencent |
3.5M |
| 8 |
Knives Out |
Mobile |
NetEase |
3.1M |
| 9 |
QQ Speed Mobile |
Mobile |
Tencent |
2.9M |
| 10 |
Dungeon & Fighter |
PC |
Tencent |
2.2M |
Top 10 Game Streamers in China (by User Donations in 2018)
| Rank |
Streamer |
Platform |
Game Focused |
Donations |
| 1 |
XuXuBaoBao |
Douyu |
Dungeon & Fighter |
$10M |
| 2 |
LongMing |
NetEase CC |
Fantasy Westward Journey PC |
$5M |
| 3 |
A' Leng |
Douyu |
League of Legends |
$3M |
| 4 |
TongNanZi |
NetEase CC |
Fantasy Westward Journey PC |
$3M |
| 5 |
KangZou |
NetEase CC |
Fantasy Westward Journey PC |
$3M |
| 6 |
FengTiMo |
Douyu |
League of Legends |
$3M |
| 7 |
CiKe |
NetEase CC |
Fantasy Westward Journey PC |
$3M |
| 8 |
FeiLingXue |
Douyu |
PUBG |
$3M |
| 9 |
yyfyyf |
Douyu |
Dota 2 |
$3M |
| 10 |
pigff |
Douyu |
PUBG |
$3M |
Comparison with Western Markets
- Monetization: Western platforms rely on subscriptions and advertising, while Chinese platforms use donations and virtual item sales.
- Content Focus: Western platforms are more game-centric, while Chinese platforms emphasize entertainment.
- User Engagement: Bullet chats are a key feature in China, enhancing social interaction and community building.
- Mobile Influence: Mobile gaming is dominant in China, with many platforms optimized for mobile devices.
- Gender Dynamics: Chinese streaming is less toxic toward women, with a more balanced gender representation and higher donations to female streamers.
- Guilds and Platforms: Streaming guilds are essential in China for streamer success, offering support and increasing revenue streams.
Conclusion
China's streaming market is a dynamic and rapidly evolving ecosystem, driven by unique cultural values, mobile-first trends, and innovative monetization strategies. It offers a different experience compared to the West, with a strong emphasis on entertainment, community engagement, and the role of streaming guilds. The market is dominated by Tencent, which has a significant influence on both platforms and game content. The future of the market will likely continue to evolve with the integration of new technologies and the expansion of content and engagement strategies.