San Bruno, CA – YouTube rolled out a new live video service that could become a new outlet for content produced by trade show organizers and their exhibitors.
YouTube Live builds on the popular service’s live streaming capabilities by allowing “partners” that have accounts in good standing on YouTube to feed their videos in real time. A subscription function allows viewers to be notified in advance of the next segment.
“The goal is to provide thousands of partners with the capability to live stream from their channels in the months ahead,” YouTube said in its announcement. The beta version of YouTube Live got off to a flying and eclectic start the Spring with offerings of a cricket match in India, segments from Fashion TV, the opinions of amateur commentators on the sorry state of society, and live coverage of the royal wedding in London.
The quality of the images and audio, however, was good overall and connecting was simple enough that viewers unable to attend the physical show will have little trouble logging in from the office.
YouTube has experience as a platform for content from trade shows in the past, including E3 Expo.YouTube also plans to add features including allowing viewers to add upcoming video events to their calendars and send comments to the streamer. There are no plans to enable show managers to charge a fee for viewing their content, although there was nothing that would prevent them from using video streaming as a sponsorship opportunity.
Reach Joshua Siegel, product manager, at (650)-253-0000.
