BIGO LIVE: A GROWING SENSATION IN AN INDUSTRY WITH A BIG APPETITE

The live-streaming industry has seen a massive growth in years. From the likes of Vimeo to Facebook Live, the industry has grown to include content creators worldwide creating a diverse range of content and it’s no different in Malaysia.

One particular platform that has been gaining traction in recent years, Bigo Live, has accumulated 400 million users in over 150 countries worldwide, making it one of the leading live streaming platforms in the industry. “In Malaysia, we have seen over 20 percent growth in the number of Bigo Live users and are set to recruit around 3,000 to 5,000 new content creators. As a result, we could see up to 30,000 content creators in Malaysia live on our platform by the end of the year,” says Neil Xiong, Country Manager, Bigo Live Malaysia.

With the arrival of Covid-19, Bigo Live observed a global increase in the usage of the platform and Malaysia was no exception to those changes, as work-from-home practice was enforced along with the Movement Control Order (MCO) in March.

“We faced a truly unique situation this year as Covid-19 related restrictions kept people apart. As physical interactions were actively discouraged, as a result, people around the world were turning to virtual interactions because it is a comparatively safe way to connect without risking their health,” Xiong says.

The platform, launched in 2016, made its mission and vision to connect the world and become a community that inspires and embraces creativity and talent. It has since seen a rising popularity, especially in the last few months as people seek genuine connection, entertainment and comfort in a difficult time of social isolation due to the pandemic.

“We noticed that the timing of the spike in demand for live-streaming coincided with the widespread adoption of work-from-home (WFH) measures and social distancing guidelines that kept people at home nearly round-the-clock.”