Before the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2017, Huawei X Labs and China Mobile Research Institute jointly released the Mobile Video Report: China Trailblazing Mobile Live Video Market. The Report reveals that the burgeoning social networking combined with the unique monetization mechanism presented in China helps stimulate the advancement of China's live streaming industry. At all times and in all locations consumer's requirements for live streaming are efficiently fulfilled thanks to the extensive construction of robust 4G networks. It is estimated that the total number of mobile live streaming viewers will approach 500 million by 2020 in China, generating a market of approximately 13 billion USD. This demonstrates that China will probably dominate the world’s live streaming market.

The social attributes of live video, including the interaction between broadcasters and viewers as well as between viewers, are driving the fast adoption of live streaming service. Content generation and consumption are migrated from fixed to that of mobile terminals, and the level of user activity dedicated to live streaming is further increasing. In this context, Huawei, China Mobile Research Institute, and Strategy Analytics jointly conducted a survey. This survey illustrated that 69% of the surveyed viewers reflected their usage of viewing live streaming videos over mobile data had increased in the last 6 months, while 90% of surveyed streaming hosts claimed that they stream live videos over mobile data at least once per month. In crowded locations, there are considerable demands for video sharing via live streaming. The survey shows that live event is one of the most interested categories for live video streaming viewers. 65% of survey respondents have expressed interest in live streaming of talent, celebrity, live activities, gaming, sports and other big events. Stadiums and exhibition centers frequently hosting such remarkable occasions are often hot spots for mobile live streaming services.

The Report compares the live streaming business model in China with those in the rest of the world. In China's mobile live video streaming market, in-app purchase of virtual goods is a dominant monetization model, while in the United States, mobile live streaming platforms are still exploring new monetization models through advertising. The Report indicates that the future development of China's mobile live streaming tends to combine virtual goods purchase with e-commerce. The Report claims that event sponsors, live streaming platforms, e-commerce platforms, operators, and other parties be involved in the industry chain. This will help promote and initiate cross-domain collaboration, offer satisfying live streaming services to both hosts and viewers, and help discover new potential business models to achieve win-win success. This will further the prosperity of China's mobile live streaming market.