2018_8_5__2018china_joy___youku____________.thumb_head

Photo/Zhang Xiaoqing

Oct. 16 (NBD) -- Youku, a video streaming subsidiary of Chinese e-commerce titan Alibaba Group, has secured the rights to stream CBA (China Basketball Association) for the next two years. 

While providing live streaming, Youku plans to launch a new self-produced interactive variety show to discuss the matches.

Besides, the platform will interact with users in various ways during the streaming. For instance, it may offer red packets when a player makes a dunk shot in the game.

Youku's new move came after Alibaba's sports arm Alisports spent more than 1 billion yuan (144.7 million U.S. dollars) in August winning the exclusive streaming rights to the next seven seasons of CUBA (Chinese University Basketball Association).

Early in June this year, the video streaming platform partnered with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV to livestream all 64 games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in China.

NBD noticed that the game brought a number of new users to Youku.

As the only Chinese mainstream video platform acquiring the broadcasting rights to the matches, Youku reported that from June 14 to July 15, more than 180 million users watched the World Cup on its website, 24 million of which watched the final. 

According data from research firm QuestMobile, the number of Youku app's DAUs (daily active users) exceeded 100 million on June 23. The figure rose 22 percent during the World Cup period compared to DAUs registered before the opening of the grand event. 

Alibaba is not the first giant that has made inroads into the sports game area.

The online video website iQiyi backed by tech company Baidu announced on August 6 of this year that it would set up a new joint venture with Super Sports Media. This gives the website indirect rights to stream the 2018-19 Premier League and the UEFA Nations League in 2018-2022.

Technology firm Tencent became the NBA's exclusive Chinese digital partner in 2015, and the company inked a five-year deal with the league to launch NBA League Pass on Tencent Sports website, which allows subscribers in China to watch NBA games online.

As China's sports sector has been growing rapidly since 2014, the costs for live streaming rights surged sharply over the past years. 

Last year, PPTV, online TV unit of retailer Suning Holdings Group, paid 1.35 billion yuan (195.3 million U.S. dollars) for the broadcasting rights to CSL (Chinese Super League) for one year, far more than the 8 million yuan (1.2 million U.S. dollars) for the rights to the 2014-2015 season of CSL. 

Faced with skyrocketing rights costs, sports streaming platforms are exploring new sources of profits.

Sina Sports, for example, chooses to gain revenues by holding sports games and events, such as the Sina 3x3 Basketball Golden League, Sina Cup International Youth Ice Hockey and Sina 5x5 Golden Futsal League.

 

Email: zhanglingxiao@nbd.com.cn

Editor: Zhang Lingxiao