‘China’s Twitch’ Huya surpasses 100 million monthly active users despite Beijing’s content crackdown – SCMP
What happened: Chinese game live-streaming platform Huya has surpassed 100 million monthly active users as the platform continues to grow despite Beijing’s crackdowns on online content. The figure reinforces six-year-old Huya’s position as one of China’s most popular game-streaming sites, putting it ahead of peers like its parent firm YY and Longzhu.
Why it’s important: China is home to the world’s biggest live-streaming market, with revenue expected to reach $4.9 billion by 2022. However, the Chinese government has led periodic crackdowns on online cultural content. China’s authorities have expressed support for e-sports despite the government keeping the gaming industry on a tight leash by suspending the approval of new games for 9 months last year. Huya has been banned from allowing ride-hailing platform drivers to livestream their passengers following public outcry. Last year, popular apps including Douyu and Longzhu were temporarily removed from app stores after hosting content that was deemed to be inappropriate.