Tencent’s Twitch streaming rival is hiding in plain sight

Tencent dominates gaming and social media in its domestic market and may be one of the few companies with the resources to challenge Twitch. –— Reuters

Tencent Holdings Ltd is rolling out a live-streaming service similar to Amazon.com Inc’s Twitch in the United States, making a rare foray into American social media.

China’s largest company has been quietly testing a mobile-focused streaming network via an affiliate in the United States since at least March. Initially called Madcat and now branded Trovo Live, the new service closely resembles Twitch in its appearance and functionality. Beyond Tencent’s own portfolio of popular games like Fortnite and PUBG Mobile, Trovo also spotlights marquee titles like Grand Theft Auto and Destiny 2. This week, it detailed plans on its website to entice and reward creators with a US$30mil (RM128.75mil) partnership programme starting in July.