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In February, DingIt decided to enter the billion-dollar video streaming market. But how can it hope to compete with giants like Twitch and YouTube Gaming? MCV catches up with head of content Adam Simmons to find out.
How would you assess DingIt’s performance so far?
We are extremely happy with how 2015 has gone. DingIt launched in open beta in February and we have just reached 13m monthly uniques globally in November, exceeding all our targets – and we are still growing. The really exciting news is that we are already profitable, so it’s safe to say this year has been a great start for DingIt.
The streaming market is already dominated by Twitch, and we now have heavyweights like YouTube Gaming entering the fray. Is there still room for more companies in the sector?
The viewership for eSports alone is estimated to reach 230m-plus by 2017 (according to SuperData). That’s a huge audience, but the model for gaming and eSports streaming is broken, so these growing audiences are not being catered for properly. DingIt has been built from the ground up with revolutionary technology that provides a range of improvements to both broadcasters and, importantly, viewers. Our gaming fans are returning to DingIt in increasing numbers, proving there is definitely room for genuinely innovative platforms in gaming.
You say that eSports streaming is broken. What do you mean?
When we were building the platform, we looked at all the things that were wrong with the gaming and eSports business. Poor quality streams, excessive buffering and latency, and unsustainable revenue models all mean that the content creators and the viewer experience, suffer. By understanding these shortcomings, we’ve been able to create a platform that addresses these issues with proprietary technology that delivers an unparalleled streaming experience, a revenue model that works and all on a platform with global appeal.
What is your focus when it comes to user acquisition?
Our mission is to provide a high quality experience to gaming fans everywhere, from the lighter viewers right through to the hardcore gamers. One of the main drivers for our growth has been through our Highlights content. We produce these highlights directly from our exclusive events and they act as a gateway for new gaming audiences into the world of eSports. Whilst our current focus is on eSports, DingIt is an open platform for any broadcaster who wants to join and either start or grow their streaming careers. Ultimately, DingIt is for gamers and we are investing in content and technology that helps support the gaming community as a whole.
What kind of investment are you making in bringing streamers and viewers on-board?
We are constantly trying to find ways to make it easier for our broadcasters to earn with DingIt. We offer in excess of $50,000 per month in bonus rewards to support developing channels. We have also created clear levels for partnership that sees a revenue share of up to 50 per cent on advertising. Another way we are trying to help broadcasters is to offer a share of channel subscriptions from Day One, as well as a donation feature.
You recently expanded into South Korea. Where else will DingIt be expanding in the near future?
We already have viewers in 60 countries and we are seeing more gaming fans turn to DingIt for our content every day. One of the main benefits of the platform is that it provides viewers the same great quality anywhere in the world – regardless of location. We can scale our reach into multiple markets easily. The launch of dingit.kr was a starting point for our growth in Asia and we will continue to expand into other countries in 2016.
