Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Despite the recent restrictions implemented by the government, the Chinese online gaming market remains at an all-time high. Among the market segments driving growth in the industry is China’s $445 million e-sports business scene.
In hindsight, the industry is further empowered by the prevalence of live-streaming platforms in Mainland China. Today, these apps account for 29.1% of the country’s online gaming population.
With their massive audience reach, tapping into popular esports livestream platforms in China offers foreign brands an opportunity to drive sales and increase local visibility. Here are some insights from our team that may help you maximize these channels.
Is Online Game Streaming Popular in Mainland China?
There are over 127.18 million daily active users of popular esports live-streaming platforms in China, specifically from Huya, DouYu, and Bilibili. Based on the 2021 data sources alone, consumers on these apps spent a total of 19.33 million hours watching live gaming content.
Among everything else, esports has the most significant impact on the continued popularity of game streaming in China, given that it serves a dedicated audience of 489 million users in the country.
As local esports fans continue to consume everything related to China’s top online game titles and professional teams, experts predict that the game streaming industry will generate its highest revenue in 2024. Right now, the market is looking at a potential $2.58 billion in earnings.
Each live-streaming platform for esports has built massive, loyal user bases and caters to a slightly different demographic and niche. They provide access to a predominantly young, tech-savvy market, mainly between 18 and 35.
5 Most Popular Esports Livestream Platforms in China Today
1. Huya Live
It’s no secret that Huya has long been the largest streaming platform among China’s esports live stream apps. In its latest report, the company recorded 83.5 million monthly active users for the second quarter of 2024.
This sheer volume of viewers makes Huya indispensable to any game publisher’s digital marketing strategy in China. It has also positioned itself as the “home of esports,” with live streams covering major esports titles such as League of Legends (LoL), Honor of Kings, PUBG Mobile, and Dota 2.
Huya Live Mobile Landing Pages
Huya Live’s influence in China’s online gaming industry is undeniable, primarily because the game-streaming app is deeply integrated into the local esports ecosystem. It currently holds broadcast rights to the renowned Honor of Kings Streamers League and League of Legends Pro League (LPL).
Its live format makes it perfect for brand integration, user engagement, and sponsorships. Businesses can place ads directly in streams or collaborate with well-known game streamers to boost their reach further.
Popular videos on Huya Live with millions of views (Source: Huya)
Beyond the typical ad placements and sponsorships, Huya allows digital gifting, where viewers can purchase and send gifts to their favorite streamers. Local game developers have increasingly tied these gifting features to in-game rewards to increase player engagement.
For example, during a campaign for Peacekeeper Elite, Huya ran a special promotion in which viewers who gifted streamers during the event could receive exclusive in-game items, such as character skins and weapon designs.
This strategy resulted in an uptick in in-game purchases and live stream viewership, demonstrating how seamlessly game-streaming platforms like Huya can support a local game launch.
2. DouYu Live
Another well-known platform among the most popular esports streaming apps in China is DouYu Live. It has 26.6 million monthly active users, 3.4 million of whom are paying consumers who are actively purchasing in-app services.
Like other leading esports live-stream platforms, it covers a diverse range of competitive games and tournaments. The app even obtained the exclusive rights to broadcast the ESL Pro Tour for games like CS:GO, StarCraft II, and Warcraft III between the competition seasons of 2020 and 2021.
The platform’s diversity in content allows game developers and brands to target specific gaming communities based on the type of content they consume.
Thanks to its connection with Tencent, Douyu easily integrates with popular Tencent services like WeChat and QQ. This allows users to quickly share streams across these platforms, increasing visibility for both streamers and brands.
This integration gives Douyu a distinct advantage over other popular esports streaming apps in China, as it has more access to Tencent’s vast advertising ecosystem.
Beyond that, it’s also a popular platform for brand collaborations, having worked with over 400 brands, including major companies like KFC, Intel, JD.com, and Ford. These collaborations often include QR code displays during live streams, which allow viewers to scan and engage with promotional content in real time.
Esports Tournaments and Events happening on Douyu Live (Source: Douyu Website)
Complying with content regulations is essential when using platforms like Douyu to avoid violating platform rules or triggering users. Instead of overly direct advertisements, companies should focus on soft marketing techniques and encouraging user-generated content.
For example, a gaming headset could be introduced as the streamer’s new go-to equipment during live broadcasts, which would feel more authentic than traditional ads. Brands should show how the product fits naturally into their lifestyle or gaming setup instead of the usual unboxing videos.
3. Douyin
As one of China’s most popular social media apps, it’s a no-brainer that Douyin’s official number of esports viewership exceeds its main competitors. The platform’s main advantage lies in its 700 million monthly active users.
For game-related brands, this broad reach translates into greater visibility and engagement opportunities. Douyin also features AI-driven recommendation algorithms that connect any gaming content to highly relevant audiences within the platform.
Game live streams on Douyin
One example of Douyin’s growing impact in the local gaming industry is its broadcast rights for Honor of Kings. This partnership resumed in 2024 after being banned in 2016 due to a copyright infringement dispute between Tencent and ByteDance.
After its re-launch on Douyin, Tencent’s Honor of Kings capitalized on Douyin’s massive reach by hosting game-themed activities and influencer-driven real-time video content.
The tech giant reinvigorated its player base by offering in-game benefits through these live streams and reconnected with millions of gamers on Douyin.
Source: Sixth Tone
Douyin’s unique combination of short-form video, AI-powered algorithms, and real-time live-streaming gives it a distinct advantage over traditional esports platforms like Douyu or Huya.
Its ability to combine entertainment with commerce also makes it especially valuable for game-related brands that want to convert engagement into direct sales or new players.
4. Kuaishou Live
As of May 2024, over 89% of Kuaishou’s users actively engage with live-stream content on the platform. This statistic positions the app as a strong industry player in the gaming and esports sectors.
Unlike Douyin or Douyu, which primarily target affluent urban populations, Kuaishou is deeply embedded in the lives of users from smaller cities and rural areas.
These users tend to have higher engagement rates, and its focus on grassroots content helps it resonate deeply with this demographic.
Current Esports Events Hosted in Kuaishou
One of Kuaishou’s biggest advantages for game live streaming is its innovative “live streaming + short video” model. Thanks to this feature, creators can repackage live streams into short-form content that can be shared and consumed more efficiently.
Users can create highlights, post-match interviews, commentary, and behind-the-scenes content, all of which drive engagement after the live event. For game developers and brands, this means their content gets extended exposure long after the live stream is over.
Kuaishou has also been increasingly involved in esports. In 2024, the platform became the strategic partner for the Saudi Arabia E-Sports World Cup. The partnership includes live broadcasts of the games, marketing highlights, short videos, and player stories to attract more Chinese users to the event.
5. Bilibili
Another prominent name among popular esports streaming apps in China is Bilibili. It has 341.5 million monthly active users (as of Q1 2024) who are predominantly passionate about anime, gaming, and comics.
The platform also secures streaming rights to major esports events. One of the most notable partnerships is with Riot Games. Bilibili entered a three-year contract with the gaming giant for the rights to broadcast the League of Legends World Championship in 2020.
As Bilibili’s esports division grows, the platform has also started actively investing in professional teams and players, such as Bilibili Gaming (BLG).
Beyond esports, mobile gaming is another area where Bilibili shines. Azur Lane and Fate/Grand Order are two examples that have found massive success through the platform’s exclusive distribution in China.
These games, part of the ACG (Anime, Comic, and Gaming) genre, gained popularity through Bilibili’s active fan-driven content ecosystem. Fans share gameplay reviews, fan art, and strategy discussions, which helps build a stronger community around the games and keeps players engaged.
How Can Foreign Brands Leverage China’s Popular Esports Streaming Apps?
● Engage in KOL Collaborations
Popular esports streaming apps in China are the best place to find gaming KOLs. With millions of monthly active users, each platform hosts numerous gaming influencers, including professional players, popular streamers, and gaming commentators.
An excellent example of a successful KOL collaboration in China’s gaming space is Riftstorm’s social media campaign, which our team executed and managed. The brand partnered with top gaming influencers on local social media platforms, where they streamed the gameplay for two to three hours.
KOL Live-streaming Campaigns for Riftstorm
The live-stream campaigns ran on the Bilibili platform from March 12th to 14th. On March 13th, Riftstorm received the highest one-day engagement rate from its collaboration with two gaming KOLs. The videos garnered decent traffic, with more than 19,000 viewers, 24,000 likes, and 4,200 comments.
They also received specific game feedback from live-stream viewers, which will help them acquire more users in the long run. Some comments ask if the game content is in simplified Chinese or wish it had more in-game maps referencing the local culture.
It’ll also give the developers localization insights into which game segments need improvement, especially if they want more Chinese gamers to continue patronizing their titles.
● Tailor Content for the Chinese Audiences
Foreign brands must adopt a localization-first mindset to succeed in the Chinese online video market. Simply replicating global campaigns won’t cut it, as this success hinges on a deep understanding of Chinese gamer behaviors, cultural nuances, and the specific language used in gaming communities.
This means crafting content that resonates with local tastes, humor, and even the platform-specific slang gamers use in streams and chats.
Brands looking to break into this space should strategically align themselves with top-performing games like Tencent’s Honor of Kings or miHoYo’s Genshin Impact. Marketers can create targeted content or sponsor local streamers and tournaments to deliver marketing efforts that feel relevant and authentic to Chinese gaming culture.
● Esports Tournament Sponsorships
Sponsoring high-profile esports tournaments is another effective way to enter the Chinese market.
Major events like the League of Legends World Championship or Honor of Kings World Champion Cup draw millions of live viewers, many of whom are young, tech-savvy, and more likely to engage with brands integrated into these events.
By sponsoring these tournaments, foreign brands can gain premium visibility in front of highly engaged audiences. This increases brand exposure and helps brands gain credibility and trust by associating with popular, culturally significant events.
Honor of Kings Tournament (Source: Esports World Cup)
● Interactive Advertising and Gamified Campaigns
Esports streaming apps in China offer unique advertising formats beyond traditional banner ads. Foreign marketers can integrate ads during live streams, delivering interactive content such as clickable banners, real-time promotions, or in-stream mini-games.
Take advantage of the gift-giving systems, which allow viewers to send virtual gifts to streamers. A foreign brand could sponsor virtual gifts tied to their products, incentivizing users to interact with the brand.
Gamified campaigns that resonate with the target audience also work well. Brands can host tournaments, sponsor in-stream competitions, or create branded challenges where viewers can win prizes. This opens an opportunity to engage with gamers directly while increasing brand visibility.
Quick Q&A
What is the biggest gaming streaming platform in China?
Huya is currently the largest gaming platform in China. Along with Douyu, it holds a significant share of the esports and gaming live-streaming industry, accounting for around 80% of the market.
What is the equivalent of Twitch in China?
Huya and Douyu are the closest equivalents to Twitch in China, offering similar features like live game streaming, real-time audience interaction, and esports broadcasts.
Your Trusted Game Marketing Partner in the Chinese Market
China’s esports streaming ecosystem is rapidly growing and evolving, brimming with opportunities for foreign brands. However, success depends on deeply understanding the local audience, leveraging the platforms’ unique interactive features, and building authentic relationships with influencers and esports communities.
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At Sekkei Digital Group, we understand the changing Chinese consumer behaviors and local digital ecosystems. With our team’s extensive industry experience and expertise, we can help your brand unlock its enormous potential in one of the world’s largest esports markets.
Whether you’re looking for a gaming KOL or launching paid advertisement campaigns, we have all the digital solutions you need. If you have any queries, drop us a message so we can start working together.
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