Google’s new Stadia gaming platform is all about streamers

Google unveiled its new Stadia game streaming service today and while we’re still waiting to hear more details about how (and when) consumers will be able to access the service, it’s clear that Google clearly kept game streamers in mind when it designed this new service. Indeed, it’s the first modern gaming platform that was […]

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China’s YY eyes overseas live streaming with $1.45B Bigo buyout

One of China’s top live streaming companies YY bought a stake and obtained the right to purchase a majority share in Bigo last June, and now the other shoe has dropped after YY fully acquired the Singapore-based startup behind live streaming app Bigo Live and short-video service Like. That’s according to an announcement YY made […]

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YouTube under fire for recommending videos of kids with inappropriate comments

More than a year on from a child safety content moderation scandal on YouTube and it takes just a few clicks for the platform’s recommendation algorithms to redirect a search for “bikini haul” videos of adult women towards clips of scantily clad minors engaged in body contorting gymnastics or taking an icebath or ice lolly sucking […]

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Alibaba takes an 8% stake in Tencent-backed anime streaming site Bilibili

Ecommerce giant Alibaba is continuing its push into the world of youth culture after it scooped up an 8 percent stake in anime streaming and game publishing company Bilibili. According to a securities filing on Thursday, Alibaba’s Taobao marketplace has acquired about 24 million shares in Bilibili, the Shanghai-based firm that has captured 93 million monthly users […]

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FanAI buys Waypoint Media to better track fan engagement for streaming monetization

FanAI, an audience analysis platform for eSports and streaming, is buying New York-based Waypoint Media to improve its analytics tools for eSports players and streamers. The deal means that Waypoint’s Twitch Middleware API and the “Raven” tracking and URL shortener will be added to FanAI’s product portfolio. The middleware tech has the ability to track every […]

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Alibaba just gave Chinese youth another reason to never leave their desk

People in China have a host of reasons not to go outdoors these days. They may be too busy to leave their office, wary of air pollution or have chosen to live isolated lives. Among them is an expanding young consumer base who prefers to dwell in the virtual world of video games, animes and […]

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The annual PornHub year in review tells us what we’re really looking at online

PornHub, a popular site that features people in various stages of undress, saw 33.5 billion visits in 2018. There are currently 7.53 billion people on Earth. Y’all have been busy. The company, which owns most of the major porn sites online, produces a yearly report that aggregates user behavior on the site. Of particular interest, […]

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Alibaba replaces video streaming boss amid anti-corruption probe

A top-level reshuffle is sending shockwaves across one of China’s biggest online video businesses. Yang Weidong has stepped down as the president of Alibaba’s video streaming unit Youku, the ecommerce operator confirmed to TechCrunch on Tuesday. Yang is understood to be assisting the police with an investigation into “an alleged case of seeking economic benefits,” […]

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China’s iQiyi to offer $500M convertible note as content costs balloon

Chinese video streaming service iQiyi is raising new cash as it feels the squeeze from surging content costs. The video business, which is owned by China’s online search giant Baidu, said on Wednesday that it will issue $500 million in convertible senior notes. Proceeds from the offering will go towards content and technology investments as […]

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Facebook also removes 4 Infowars videos, including one it previously cleared

Days after defending its decision to give a voice to conspiracy theory peddler Alex Jones and his Infowars site, Facebook has removed four of his videos for violating its community standards. But one of the four had already been allowed to slip through the firm’s review system. A source within Facebook told TechCrunch that one of […]

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India’s Times Internet buys popular video app MX Player for $140M to get into streaming

Times Internet, the digital arm of Indian media firm Times Group, is getting into the digital content space, but not in the way you might think. The company’s previous venture — an OTT called BoxTV.com — shut down in 2016 after an underwhelming four-year period. Now it is taking a radically different strategy by buying video […]

View More India’s Times Internet buys popular video app MX Player for $140M to get into streaming