Among the top live-streaming platforms, BIGO LIVE is relatively unassuming. Unlike platforms like Kick, which made a splash by rejecting the norms set by Twitch, or Steam, which built upon its already-established game marketplace, BIGO LIVE doesn’t appear to have any single hook to draw in viewers. Despite this, the platform has gradually innovated and worked its way up to being the 7 most popular live-streaming platform worldwide in Q3 2024.
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Given that we began tracking BIGO LIVE viewership on the 18th of March 2024, it’s time to delve into this data and see what makes the platform so special. In this article we’re looking at the current state of BIGO LIVE in 2024: Who is streaming on it, what are they streaming, and to what niche is BIGO LIVE appealing to grow their user base? Some of the topics covered include:
BIGO LIVE Aims to Unite Users Around The World Via Mobile
BIGO LIVE was founded back in 2014 in Singapore by ex-journalist David Li and his collaborator Jason Hu, hoping to capitalize on the growing interest in social media and, specifically, live streaming. The platform launched in 2016, slowly gaining momentum as it accumulated viewers in South East Asia before being bought out by Chinese tech conglomerate JOYY in 2019. JOYY’s other apps also emphasize social connectivity, such as Likee (for short video content) and Hago (a variety gaming app). It wasn’t until the pandemic in 2020 that BIGO LIVE really took off though, finding an audience in Latin America and soaring up the app store charts to become the 5th highest app for in-app purchase revenue worldwide in March 2020.
BIGO LIVE’s advantage over many other live-streaming apps was its location and its mobile-friendly nature. The app amassed 500M+ downloads on the app store and, as of 2023, achieved 400M users in 150 countries. Perhaps due to this majority-mobile usage, BIGO LIVE often attracts more comparisons to TikTok than other live-streaming platforms like Twitch or Kick. In this sense, BIGO LIVE had a much smaller audience, but offered its creators a greater chance of exposure (due to less competition) and higher pay rates than TikTok (discussed in more detail below).
BIGO LIVE stresses the importance of connecting communities across the globe through culture, entertainment, and education (outlined in its 2020 promotional trailer). To support this vision, BIGO LIVE organizes events that bring the community together – being much quicker to adopt this strategy than competitors like Kick or Facebook Live. The annual BIGO LIVE Awards Gala, for example, celebrates the platform’s outstanding streamers, while recreational events like the BIGO Pasar Malam captivate viewers around the world with cultural sights like the Malaysian night markets.
BIGO LIVE Finds Success in South East Asia and Latin America
BIGO LIVE has managed to situate itself among the top live-streaming platforms worldwide. In July of 2024, BIGO LIVE achieved a monthly viewership of 28.8M hours watched, overtaking both Steam (23.7M) and Facebook Live (22M). BIGO LIVE may even take 6th place next quarter, as the next competitor on the board, Rumble, will likely decline in viewership without U.S. election coverage to attract audiences. BIGO LIVE’s July bump in viewership was most likely helped by the BIGO SUMMER 2024 event hosted in Vietnam: An elimination tournament featuring guessing games and performances judged by some of Bigo’s most famous South East Asian content creators like Keng Xii and Cô Milk.
On the topic of content creators, many of BIGO LIVE’s top streamers come from vastly different regions and create non-gaming content. This is certainly the case for BIGO LIVE’s most popular streamer DREBABY, who generated 6.4M hours watched since the 18th of March 2024. Many of the other top streamers come from two main regions: South East Asia and Latin America. In fact, Brazil is the most popular country in terms of viewership with 1.6M hours watched (although not all users report their country of residence).
Unique Live-streaming Features on BIGO LIVE
BIGO LIVE has a number of special features which set it apart from its competitors. Many of BIGO LIVE’s features promote collaboration, such as its multi-guest streams which allow up to 12 streamers to create content together on one channel for panel discussions or hangouts. Streamers can also join a “BIGO Family” to find a supportive network of other content creators, or use BIGO’s new Communities feature to find streamers with shared interests.
Alternatively, BIGO LIVE also encourages streamers to compete with one another to prove who has the most engaged fanbase. Player Knockouts (PKs) are limited-time events in which streamers need to receive gifts and likes from their fans to stay in the fight. This PK feature was introduced back in 2017 before TikTok later adopted the mechanic. In terms of motivation, this PK mechanic is similar to Twitch’s subathons, albeit with an added “versus” element mixed in to create a spectacle for fans. It’s no surprise that some commentators compare BIGO LIVE to a game in this respect. Regardless, whether they’re collaborative or competitive, all of these functions serve to push streamers into interacting with one another.
BIGO LIVE’s other unique features focus more on blurring the line between a traditional live-streaming platform and an all-in-one messaging platform. For starters, streamers can start private video calls with specific viewers or with other streamers instead of hosting a public room. They can also use filters (a la Instagram or Snapchat) to enliven their content. But perhaps BIGO LIVE’s biggest hook is its ability to generate fully 3D avatars within the app itself. Not only do these 3D avatars provide a high-tech method of personalization, but they’re also great for streamers who prefer not to show themselves on camera (e.g. camera shy creators, or VTubers who role play through their avatars).
BIGO LIVE’s Gaming Content Suits its Mobile User Base
Since BIGO LIVE’s users mostly engage through the mobile app, it makes sense that most of the top games being streamed on the platform are mobile games. By far the most dominant game is Battle Royale Garena Free Fire with 6.2M hours watched since the 18th of March 2024 – a full 5.7M hours watched ahead of the next most popular game Tanki X (a Tank-based Action game). Garena and BIGO LIVE have a close bond, both being based out of Singapore and having solidified their connection through an esports partnership. Although gaming content is taking a backseat for now, this segment of the audience could grow as mobile games continue to generate demand (as seen with the Esports World Cup earlier this year).
Outside of gaming content, there are some concerns around lax policing of adult content on BIGO LIVE. Anyone around the world can stream with few restrictions, which means there are bots, sketchy streamers, and 18+ content creators. While these looser restrictions may be necessary to gain new users, BIGO LIVE is still more proactive than many competitors in actively trying to crack down on the misuse of its platform. To begin with, the platform is only recommended for users aged 17 and above (though you wouldn’t guess it from their cute dinosaur mascot, Bigo Dino). The platform has also partnered with companies and initiatives designed to protect users online, such as kids safety agency Bark and LGBT anti-suicide support group The Trevor Project. Ultimately, user discretion is part and parcel of any live-streaming platform.
BIGO LIVE Offers Some of the Most Competitive Pay Rates for Streamers
One of BIGO LIVE’s primary drawcards is its promise of high income for popular streamers. The platform itself makes money through in-app purchases, paid ads, and partnerships with specific companies. With 38M users and 1.67M paying users as of Q4 2023, these revenue streams keep the platform afloat while allowing BIGO LIVE to fund generous incentives for newcomers. The BIGO LIVE economy relies on a few in-app currencies:
Diamonds: Purchased by viewers with real money
Virtual Gifts: Purchased by viewers with Diamonds to support their favorite streamers. These appear as different reactions in chat, like applause or love emotes
Beans: Obtained by streamers based on the number of Virtual Gifts they’ve received and how long they’ve streamed per month. Beans can later be redeemed by streamers for real money
Streamers can sign up to become a BIGO LIVE host (similar to a Twitch Affiliate) in which they receive extra revenue based on their monthly performance. There are different earnings tiers based on a streamer’s airtime and how many Beans they generated. Although the details of these payment tiers are usually restricted to internal viewing by BIGO LIVE hosts with their agents, some creators have supposedly leaked these numbers online. As we can’t verify these numbers ourselves, we’ve chosen not to print these values here – but feel free to check out BIGO LIVE’s supposed pay chart here. These payment tiers again encourage streamers to treat BIGO LIVE like a game, banding together with other streamers to boost each others’ total Beans through the aforementioned PK events and collaborations.
BIGO LIVE most likely hopes to find a consistent reason for streamers to join the platform beyond simple monetization. Their Communities feature may, in time, spark off niche groups that newcomers can only find on its platform. This niche may end up being mobile gaming, with these titles being increasingly popular in both South East Asia and Latin America. Stream Hatchet will be watching as BIGO LIVE makes big moves in the coming years.
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