'Homeless' livestreaming is peaking: why hundreds take to the streets each night

The "attention economy" has reached new heights in China, and as pointed out by YouTuber Louis Zhao in a recent video, a phenomenon has emerged where hundreds of streamers are taking to the streets at night to create content.

Some streets and even the underpasses of bridges in China are being swarmed with livestreamers, as hundreds of content creators compete for viewers' attention. Zhao explains that this phenomenon is occurring for a multitude of reasons, with the primary one being the low barrier to entry for livestreaming and macroeconomic problems in China, such as the rising cost of living.

Zhao discusses why this is happening at night, the Chinese monetization model, and the role influencer agencies are playing in the influx of creators taking to the streets. Why the streets, or public places in general? In a nutshell, the content is more interesting when filmed in a public place, as there is chaos or a random element at play.

Additionally, many of these streamers are women and are seemingly playing into the "pity" of the more than likely male viewers who will see a female streamer out in the cold, on the street, seemingly homeless. The idea is that this setting will encourage the viewer to take pity on the streamer and donate money to help them get off the street.

However, these streamers aren't necessarily homeless, as many of them are part of an Influencer Agency, which sets them up with the streaming equipment and a designated spot to stream on the side of the road. The agency also typically handles all of the finances for the streamer, so they can just concentrate on creating the most engaging content possible. All of this management by the agency, of course, comes with a fee, typically in the form of a percentage of the total revenue generated by the streamer.

Another important difference between streaming in China and streaming in Western countries is how streamers get paid. For those who are unfamiliar, Western streamers who use platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and Kick can earn money through advertising revenue sharing once they are accepted into the partner program of that platform.

Chinese streaming platforms currently don't share advertising revenue, meaning all streaming income must come from the viewer's pocket via donations. This point ties into why these streamers appear homeless and appeal to the pity of the viewer.

Why is it somewhat unsettling to see lines and lines of streamers on the street? Zhao makes a great observation as to why footage of these streaming avenues can invoke an off-putting feeling, with the YouTuber pointing out the juxtaposition between polar opposites. For example, the appearance of wealth and fame (appearing like a celebrity), versus poverty and obscurity (appearing homeless), as the streamers are all dressed in glamorous clothing and makeup, yet are sitting on the side of the road, appearing homeless.