YouTube to Introduce Live Streaming

YouTube has announced plans to begin offering live video content on its site within the coming weeks, via a special page called “Live.” This means that concerts, sporting matches, educational lectures, and various other events will soon be viewable on YouTube in realtime! For now, the ability to share live content will be limited to a select number of partners. This restriction is understandable, as YouTube wishes to maintain a certain level of quality on its site. However, the company does plan to extend Live significantly over the next several months. It is not clear whether YouTube will eventually allow all users to stream live content, but we suspect this will be the case.

YouTube’s announcement has major implications for the world of online video. Although a handful of live video sites, such as UStream.com, are already up and running, these platforms simply cannot match YouTube in terms of brand recognition or financial backing. Live will cause more consumers to be drawn away from their televisions and toward their laptops, netbooks, iPads, and mobile phones. In terms of online marketing, businesses can benefit considerably from streaming video. For example, a small technology firm attending an industry conference could stream that conference directly onto their YouTube channel, drawing in many visitors who otherwise may never have stumbled across the page.

View the YouTube Live page here, and check out some of the upcoming events that are going to be broadcast!

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