YouTube Live Launching This Year With Focus on Video Game Streaming

YouTube is set to position itself against Amazon’s Twitch TV live streaming platform with the launch of YouTube Live this year, according to The Daily Dot. Though the scope of potential content is broad, reports suggest that Google-owned YouTube will be focusing on live video game streaming and eSports.

“Gaming and eSports in particular are going to be a big driving force for the new-look YouTube Live,” one source told The Daily Dot. “There’ll be huge opportunities for established streamers and organizations soon and I would say that the record numbers of esports viewers are only going to grow when Google start promoting and partnering with these events.”

Google narrowly missed out on buying Twitch last year, ultimately pipped by a $970 million purchase by Amazon, so it seems that it is using its existing video sharing service to create its own rival. YouTube already features limited live streaming services, which began in 2010 with live streams of Indian Premier League cricket, but the service failed to take off.

Since then, YouTube has recruited 50 new engineers with experience in live streaming to prepare for a relaunch, with sources calling it “a pretty big statement of intent.” They added, “The time is right as well, with Twitch moving into other areas such as music and so on. Google doesn’t want to be too far behind in the arms race.”

Though YouTube has declined to comment on the story, it is expected that the company will make an official statement at E3, which starts on 16^th June.

Source: The Daily Dot