Editorial: Content creators must embrace live video streaming apps

Millions tuned in to watch the much-anticipated Mayweather v. Pacquiao fight on Saturday night. It turns out that Mayweather wasn’t the real winner, though — Periscope, a live video streaming app, took the medal.

While Periscope, an app which Twitter owns, debuted in March 2015, the Mayweather  v. Pacquiao fight gave the app mainstream publicity. Viewers who paid nearly $100 for the pay-per-view fight angled their smartphone cameras toward their televisions and publicly streamed the fight through the app. Effectively, they shared the program with tens of thousands of other users who did not pay for the boxing match. All the while, users commented on the feeds, creating a social dialogue that transcends loafing on the couch.

In one night, Periscope — and its rival, Meerkat — skyrocketed in popularity, proving the power and accessibility of this new form of live video streaming. While there is great debate about the misappropriation of the app for pirating, as was the case during the boxing match, it’s clear that there’s still great potential here. 

Technology is an inevitable force, and there is no sense in attempting to work against something as viral as social networking and live coverage, combined. Something else will simply take the place of Periscope or Meerkat if companies try to work against the platforms through government regulation. Content creators need to embrace the technology in the same way consumers are — there’s no alternative if they hope to advance with the times.

Some content creators and entertainers are already taking advantage of the leaps and bounds live video streaming has made. Companies should use Periscope to their advantage to publicize their brand and events — it’s as simple as posting a link on Twitter. Due to the connection Periscope has with its social media parent, Twitter, live-streaming has finally become mainstream.

Jimmy Fallon was one of the first notable celebrities to incorporate live-streaming in his act. Fallon used Periscope to live-stream his monologue rehearsal before his show, warming up the crowd and allowing them to comment back and forth, hyping them up for the moment Fallon would step on stage.

Similarly, pop star Katy Perry encourages Periscope and Meerkat at her concerts. “You’ve got to embrace the future or you’re left behind,” Perry told Mashable.com in March. Perry is right in recognizing the value and reach these platforms have in expanding her fan base.

There’s also a benefit to live video streaming that holds more weight. With the accessibility of simply picking up a phone, political and social travesties like the recent Baltimore riots can be recorded and commented on in real time. This opens up the possibility for revolutionizing news coverage — the advancement of citizen journalism could effectively supplement typical coverage by introducing a range of angles from different users.

But by no means is live-streaming a substitute for the real event — whether it’s a boxing match or a pop concert — nor is it a replacement for traditional news outlets. However, apps like Periscope prove fruitful in the realm of social networking and expanding our range of dialogue. The technology is already available, so it’s up to content creators and news agencies to embrace them, rather than work against them.