The Chinese video website Youku Tudou has said that it will be investing 2 billion yuan in live video programmes over the next 3 years. It has launched Youku Live, which will focus on professional live events such as sports, news, music and arts, as well as Laifeng Live, which will focus on smaller, interactive live programmes. Live video programmes are becoming increasingly popular in China and some video producers are successfully monetising the trend. 100 video creators sold 30 million yuan worth of products in just a 4 month period earlier this year, according to Youku Tudou. Alibaba, which owns Youku Tudou, has said that it will launch new features in the near future that will allow users to buy products whilst watching live video programmes.
