In China due to strict censorship laws and government policies, it has been hard for internet services and products from the West to crack the Chinese market. For example services like YouTube, Google, Facebook, and Twitter have been banned/blocked in China, resulting in local Chinese companies launching local equivalents.
Now we have heard that Amazon is trying to get into the Chinese market with Twitch, the company’s popular video game streaming service. However it looks like they could be facing some stiff competition from the likes of a Twitch competitor, Panda TV. So what is it about Panda TV that could give Amazon a run for their money?
It would seem that the person behind the company could be the key factor. Panda TV will be run by Wang Sicong, the son of China’s wealthiest man Wang Jianlin who is said to be worth $26.5 billion. Safe to say that he has the resources needed to make Panda TV a success. This service will tap into China’s gaming market which has been estimated to pull in $17.6 billion a year.
It has also been reported that about half of China’s 408 million online gamers also spend their time watching live-streamed video games, so like we said, this is a huge market that Panda TV could tap into. Of course Amazon will want to try their hand as well, so we guess we’ll just have to wait and see who will emerge the market leader.