YouTube Live to take on Twitch and be announced at E3 - report
Guess that $1bn buyout purse was reinvested.
YouTube owner Google was reportedly denied a juicy $1bn buyout of livestreaming platform Twitch last year. That had been Google's solution to a growing phenomenon: buy it.
But since that didn't happen, YouTube had to do something else. The solution this time: build a livestreaming platform itself. Build YouTube Live.
That's reportedly the name, according to Daily Dot sources, and a full announcement is apparently planned in coordination with gaming bonanza E3 in June (16th-18th).
YouTube Live represents Google really going for it. There's a team of 50 engineers creating the platform and, said one source, "gaming and eSports in particular are going to be a big driving force" for it. That's understandable, given the momentum they give Twitch.
An E3 announcement also signals YouTube working more closely with the gaming industry, which could mean there are some large partnership deals in the pipeline. It's a story that can be told using stock photos celebrities posed for recently and brilliantly made available for free.
