Bigo Live
The logo of Bigo Live
Type of site
Live streaming
Available in18 languages
OwnerBigo Technology (JOYY)
URLwww.bigo.tv
CommercialYes/No
RegistrationYes
Users400 million
LaunchedMarch 2016 (2016-03)
Current statusActive

Bigo Live[1] is a global social live streaming platform owned by BIGO Technology[2] based in Singapore,[3][4][5] which was founded in 2014 by David Li and Jason Hu. As of 2019, Bigo Technology is owned by JOYY, a global technology company listed on the NASDAQ.[6][7]

Bigo Technology has developed proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning that is integrated into the application. The AI features are used to enhance user engagement and experience during live streaming.[8]

Viewers can support their favorite broadcasters with in-app gifts,[9] and some popular broadcasters use the app as a full-time employment. Bigo owns Likee, the short video creation and sharing app.[10][11][12]

History

David Li was a journalist prior to entering the technology industry, and Jason Hu had worked for many technology companies before the creation of Bigo Technology. In 2014, Bigo was founded in Singapore. In March 2016, Bigo Live launched.[13] It is available for iOS and Android operating systems.

In April 2016, Bigo Live was the most downloaded app in Thailand.

In December 2018, Bigo Live reached 26.7 million monthly active users.

In March 2019, the NASDAQ listed company JOYY Inc. completed the acquisition of Bigo Technology.[14]

In November 2019, monthly active users of the company's apps reached over 350 million globally.[15]

In March 2020, it ranked 6th in the United States and 5th worldwide for streaming apps, based on total in-app purchase revenue.[16]

In May 2020, Bigo Live launched a partnership with Bark, an online safety solution, to keep kids safe online.[17]

In December 2020, Bigo Live announced a partnership with The Trevor Project, the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth.[18]

In early 2021, Bigo Live had 400 million users in more than 150 countries.[19]

In 2021, it reached 29.5 million average monthly active users in the second quarter of the year.[20]

In 2021, Bigo Live ranked top 2 according to App Annie’s 2021 Top Breakout Social Apps by consumer spending.[21]

Features

People can live broadcast their life moments, show their talents and receive virtual gifts from supporters.

Users can watch trendy live streams and they can filter out broadcasters from a certain country on the explore page. Users that meet certain criteria can create their own families. 

Users can broadcast and watch live streams of popular games, such as PUBG, League of Legends, RoV, Free Fire, Fortnite, Call of Duty, Dota 2, Hearthstone, Rules of Survival and more.

It signed on as a sponsor for Box Fighting Championship in 2020.[23]

Users can invite friends to have a 1:1 online video chat, create group video chat or videos calls with up to 9 people in multi-guest rooms.

With the match up function, users can initiate a random chat with people nearby or meet new users and possible become friends with them.

Video filters and stickers are available for broadcasters.

  • Live PK

Broadcasters can take PK challenges with other people. Those who get more points through gift-receiving win the game. There are 1:1 and team PKs.

  • Bar

Users can share pictures and short videos, add hashtags to their posts on bar, where people often upload clips and screenshots of their live streams.

  • Virtual Live

In 2021, Bigo Live launched its virtual live 3D avatars. Users can represent themselves through digital avatars created on the app.[24] The ‘Virtual Live’ feature is developed using a blend of VR and AR technology to capture realistic facial expressions and mimic user movements as they livestream in real-time.[25]

  • Community

In 2022, Bigo Live announced the launch of ‘Community,’ a new interactive feature that allows users to create and manage online communities, as well as post and share original content with other platform users who share similar interests.[26]

Controversies

In June 2020, the government of India banned Bigo along with 58 other apps of Chinese origin, citing data and privacy issues and added that it was a threat to the sovereignty and national security of the country.[27] The border tensions in 2020 between India and China might have also played a role in the ban.[28][29]

In July 2020, Pakistan banned Bigo, and warned TikTok and YouTube over immoral, obscene, and vulgar content. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority said the content on the two platforms could have "extremely negative effects on the society in general and youth in particular," without elaborating.[30] The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority announced the lifting of the ban on 30 July 2020.[31]

On 13 June 2021, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh Police arrested five people including Bigo's Operation Manager, a Chinese national, in Bangladesh for involvement in money laundering and blackmail. They were charged under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, Digital Security Act and Pornography Prevention Act. [32]

References

  1. ↑ Kespret, Istok (2003), "Mit SMS den Kundendialog intensivieren", Finanzplaner TV, Wiesbaden: Gabler Verlag, pp. 209–225, doi:10.1007/978-3-322-90358-7_14, ISBN 978-3-409-11571-1, retrieved 21 April 2022
  2. ↑ "BIGO TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD". www.bigo.sg. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Why young Indians are live streaming on social media?". BBC News. 5 August 2019.
  4. ↑ Bigo Technology
  5. ↑ "Video app TikTok's India download ban worries wider tech industry". Reuters. 17 April 2019.
  6. ↑ "China's YY eyes overseas live streaming with $1.45B Bigo buyout". TechCrunch. 5 March 2019. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  7. ↑ "YY Announces Completion of Acquisition of Bigo". ir.yy.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  8. ↑ "How Bigo Live Is Using AI/ML To Customise & Showcase User-Generated Video Content". 22 July 2019.
  9. ↑ "Apps you've never heard of that your teen is already using". CNN. 25 January 2019.
  10. ↑ "Video app TikTok's India download ban worries wider tech industry". Reuters. 17 April 2019.
  11. ↑ "Likee launches Independence Day campaign for Indians across the globe". The Asian Age. 13 August 2019.
  12. ↑ "Aam Aadmi Party turns to Likee to connect with Indian youth". Deccan Chronicle. 26 September 2019.
  13. ↑ "Forget Snapchat, this app is the next big thing with teenagers in Southeast Asia". techinasia.com.
  14. ↑ "YY completes Bigo acquisition to expand overseas reach". Technode.
  15. ↑ "Singapore-based Likee, led by a former factory worker, is gaining ground on TikTok". South China Morning Post. 18 April 2020.
  16. ↑ "2020: The Year of Streaming". Apptopia. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 8 April 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  17. ↑ "Bigo Live Partners With Bark Technologies". Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  18. ↑ "Today's News". www.dcpsych.org. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  19. ↑ Magzter. "Bigo Live: A Growing Sensation in an Industry With a Big Appetite". www.magzter.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "Bigo fuels the global creator economy with livestreaming e-commerce, gaming, and entertainment content". KrASIA. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  21. ↑ Brandy, Shaul (8 December 2021). "App Annie: Worldwide App Downloads Will Reach Nearly 140B in 2021". Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  22. ↑ "Bigo Live Blog". Archived from the original on 3 October 2021.
  23. ↑ "Bigo Live Kicks Off Game Streaming in The U.S as The Official Sponsor and Live Streaming Partner for Fortnite Box Fighting Championship". ph.news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  24. ↑ Lawrence, Scotti (12 January 2022). "How 500 streamers achieved 1 million followers on Bigo Live in 2021". Dexerto. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  25. ↑ Raj, Aaron (1 March 2022). "Bigo Live a game changer for the creator economy". Tech Wire Asia. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  26. ↑ "Bigo Live unveils new interactive 'Community' feature". 8 April 2022.
  27. ↑ Shrivastava, Rahul (29 June 2020). "TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser among 59 Chinese apps banned by India as border tensions simmer in Ladakh". India Today. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  28. ↑ "India bans 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, Helo, WeChat". The Economic Times. 3 July 2020.
  29. ↑ "Full list of 59 Chinese apps banned by Indian govt". ThePrint. 29 June 2020.
  30. ↑ "Pakistan Warns Chinese TikTok, Blocks Singaporean Bigo Live App". TheDiplomat. 21 July 2020.
  31. ↑ Pakistan Telecommunication Authority lifts ban on Bigo Live PR Newswire, 1 August 2020
  32. ↑ "The Business Standard", 13 June 2021
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.