Singapore – SOOP, a new live-streaming platform, officially launched its global beta on June 5, 2024, for web and mobile app experiences.

Following the launch, the platform has quickly attracted streamers broadcasting a wide variety of content, ranging from popular esports and multiplayer titles and ‘Let’s Play’ single player gaming sessions, to virtual avatar and ‘IRL’ streamers.

With its launch, SOOP has developed strategic partnerships with game publishers, tournament organisers, and leading entertainment providers to host unique and exclusive content.

In terms of partnerships, SOOP has partnered with Riot Games to broadcast esports tournaments in games such as VALORANT and League of Legends, as well as partnerships with broadcasters or RTS and FGC tournaments in games like StarCraft and Tekken.

Beyond esports, users are provided with a world of sports and entertainment content to explore with access to broadcasts of Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) League and Union Mondiale de Billard (UMB) matches, while viewers seeking reality entertainment can enjoy live streams of sensations like K-pop contest, U2U: Up To You, hilarious physical challenges like Special Fox, and other original content series.

Furthermore, SOOP is currently running a three-month-long promotion that allows users to monetise their channels by streaming for just one hour until the end August 2024, lowering the barrier of entry for aspiring streamers, while encouraging exploration of the numerous content avenues that are available to users to kickstart their content creation journey.

The platform categorises streamers into three tiers namely ‘Rookie’, ‘Affiliate’ and ‘Partner’ with varying requirements and benefits. During the promotional period, users are eligible to become Affiliate streamers after achieving just one hour of cumulative streaming, enabling monetisation and access to the SOOP Revenue Program. This allows content creators of any size to seize the moment and start earning from live streaming on SOOP.

Users in the SOOP Revenue Program will initially benefit from two monetisation methods such as gems that users can give to streamers and subscriptions that grant users special access to a streamer’s exclusive features and content, providing an avenue to support their favourite streamers on an individual or recurring basis while enjoying personalised perks.

In addition to gems and subscriptions, advertising revenue share solutions are in development for future release to further grow streamers’ monetisation opportunities, alongside in-game drops and game account integration to enhance interactivity for viewers.

Singapore – TikTok Singapore has recently launched a week-long #MentalHealthAwarenesscampaign, where it has been rolling out a series of global live streams as part of ongoing efforts to invest in its community’s mental well-being. The campaign runs until 16 September. 

On Monday, 13 September, local non-profit organization in Singapore, Mental ACT, went live to discuss ways in which people can take charge and ownership of their mental health. 

The upcoming fresh live stream will be Wednesday, 15 September, beginning at 8 pm SGT, featuring TikTok’s Head of Regional Policy, Trust & Safety for APAC, Jamin Tan. Tan will be joined by Seah Yang Hee, Deputy CEO and group director for service planning & funding in the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), as well as by non-profit partner Limitless, and TikTok wellness creators Yanni Ruth and Nur Hidayah Azman

The group will be sharing how improving mental health starts with a conversation, discussing their lived experiences, and how we can, collectively, help make sure that quality mental health care is available to everyone who needs it.

“People need more than static pages for help; they need avenues to feel heard, and platforms that are safe for their self-expression,” shared Tan. 

“We are inspired by how our community in Singapore has truly opened up a conversation about mental health, sharing and uniting others through their own inspiring stories. That is why we are pleased to be working with industry experts and mental health advocates in our efforts to raise #MentalHealthAwareness. We care deeply about our community, and will always look for new ways in which we can help to nurture their well-being,” Tan added. 

Through the campaign, TikTok invites Singaporeans to engage openly and bravely with important mental well-being issues. Aside from partnering with local non-profit organizations and independent experts, TikTok has also enlisted the presence of its ‘Youth For Good’ creators, an initiative launched by the platform that seeks to empower youths to raise awareness on mental and cyber wellness. 

Users can tune in live at @tiktoksg to join the conversations. 

TikTok first introduced #MentalHealthAwareness globally last May to mark this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week. 

Singapore – To celebrate the International Museum Day on 18 May, TikTok will be live-streaming its first-ever ‘#MuseumMoment Live’, an all-day global live stream event brings together some of the world’s most iconic arts and culture institutions.

The live stream will see 23 museums across 12 different countries giving virtual tours of each of their institutions, taking them on a one-of-a-kind cultural journey. For the APAC region, Singapore and Japan are the countries that will be joining. Japan will be taking viewers to its Mori Art Museum while Singapore will be giving a tour of its National Gallery Singapore. Other countries include Brazil, Spain, and Netherlands, as well as Germany, and Italy, among others

The ‘#MuseumMoment Live’ will be kicking off with National Gallery Singapore on 18 May at 3:00 pm SGT, and will be finishing off on 19 May at 9:00 pm SGT. It will be streamed live via TikTok for Good and TikTok’s global social impact content hub.

For the Singapore leg of ‘#MuseumMoment Live’, viewers will be treated to a surprising tour of the gallery, enabling them to view Singapore and Southeast Asian artworks up close, including pieces such as Raden Saleh’s painting Forest Fire and Matthew Ngui’s installation Chair. They will also get to experience the Gallery’s signature art event – the Light to Night Festival, and marvel at its iconic architecture.

TikTok Singapore’s User and Content Operations Manager, Doreen Tan, shared that with TikTok’s ‘#MuseumMoment Live’, they are proud to be a place where museums and galleries can open their doors digitally and connect with audiences all over the world with their exciting content.

“Starting with Singapore’s very own National Gallery, we can’t wait to see what’s behind the scenes of some of the most iconic institutions in the world and provide a platform for viewers to be immersed in culture from all around the world,” said Tan.

Meanwhile, Chris Lee, the chief marketing officer at National Gallery Singapore, commented that they are honored to represent Singapore in TikTok’s new live event and bring the best of Singapore and Southeast Asian art to TikTok’s global audience.

“Audiences can look forward to enjoying novel and surprising art experiences on the tour, and learning about the unique heritage and culture of Singapore and Southeast Asia through art. Through this innovative collaboration, we hope more audiences will come to know of the Gallery’s multi-faceted offerings, and experience it for themselves in person when they visit Singapore,” said Lee.

Viewers will be getting an exciting look at the United Kingdom’s Black Country Museum, Germany’s Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, and Netherlands’ Rijksmuseum, as well as the United States’ Metropolitan Museum of Art, among others.

Manila, Philippines – Filipino-born live streaming platform Kumu sees a new wave of streamers on the platform, particularly artists and groups handled by ABS-CBN, one of the country’s largest media conglomerates.

The newly birthed partnership between the two parties entails greater visibility for ABS-CBN’s artists and talents outside of mainstream media, with Kumu providing an alternative channel for said artists to connect with their large fan bases locally.

With more than 100 artists and groups set to stream, some of the personalities include the top and former contestants of the reality show ‘Pinoy Big Brother’, Philippine pop groups MNL48, BINI, BGYO, and several artists from ABS-CBN’s noontime show ‘It’s Showtime’ and from talent houses Star Magic, Star Hunt, Polaris (It’s Showtime talents), Star Music, and RISE Artists Studio.

“Just like the other partnerships between ABS-CBN and Kumu, we are confident that we will be able to achieve our united goal of providing good content and meaningful experiences to our audiences,” said Jamie Lopez, head of digital at ABS-CBN.

In a statement, Kumu said that their partnership with the media conglomerate aligns with the company’s vision of “commitment to highlight Pinoy creativity and to uplift the voices of Filipino talent all around the world.”

“We are proud to be signing more talents to our platform with ABS-CBN and support the creation of positive online content — content that we need now more than ever. We foresee future opportunities to develop these talents’ careers via live streaming — opening doors for new, innovative projects in the streaming space and beyond,” Kumu said. 

The partnership was announced during the conclusion of ABS-CBN’s reality show ‘Pinoy Big Brother’, which was also co-produced by Kumu. Both companies have earlier maintained co-production partnerships, including the 2020 version of the game show ‘Game KNB’.

For Laurenti Dyogi, head of entertainment production at ABS-CBN and head at Star Magic, the parties believe that fans are the winners in this partnership as “they get more opportunity to see their favorite stars in a more casual and informal setting, and even bond with them whenever the artists stream on their official accounts on Kumu.”

“We believe in the unique experience offered by Kumu. It’s a great platform to nurture the connection between the artists and their fans. Many of our stars are actually streaming already on the platform but with this partnership, there will be even more artists coming in to bring light and joy to ‘Kumunizens’,” Dyogi stated.

Singapore – E-commerce platform Lazada hosted today its inaugural ‘Lazada Forward Women Awards’ 2021 in Singapore, to honor six outstanding women across the Southeast Asia region, who were thought to have formed new paths through the e-commerce space and have showcased resilience and innovation in their journeys as entrepreneurs. 

The event was live-streamed to viewers in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam on the Lazada LazLive channel. It featured guest performers like Malaysia’s rap darling, Zamaera, and Singapore’s very own funny woman, Sharul Channa in celebration of International Women’s Month.

The inaugural Lazada Forward Women Awards 2021 comprise three award categories, namely the Creative Seller Award, Enterprising Seller Award, and Inspiring Seller Award. 

Among the first-six award recipients are Singapore’s Anne Ong of Anne’s Secret Recipes and Vietnam’s Pham Thi Xuan Hong of PinkShopGiayDep, where both took the ;’Creative Seller Award’.

Meanwhile, Philippines’ Georgianna Carlos of Fetch and Thailand’s Lalilla Thamnita of AggieHome earned the ‘Enterprising Seller Award’.

And lastly, for the ‘Inspiring Seller Award’, Indonesia’s Hanna Suhardi of Shopping Shoes and Malaysia’s Annie Chia of NLWK Florist won.

During the awards ceremony, Chun Li, the chief executive officer of Lazada Group, commented that he is honored to be around inspirational women today. 

“You found interesting and unique ways to leverage the Lazada platform to not only establish your online business but also to engage customers and build a niche following while uplifting the lives around you. Lazada is proud to be your partner and have the opportunity to be part of your successful journey,” said Chun Li.

As part of the Awards presentation ceremony, he also joined in a lively discussion moderated by Virginia Tan, the founding partner of Teja Ventures and co-founder of She Loves Tech, with panelist Ayesha Khanna, the CEO of Addo.ai, on the topic of ‘Growing Women Entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia: Current Challenges and Opportunities’.

Manila, Philippines – Locally-developed telemedicine app KonsultaMD in the Philippines has taken its services up a notch by bringing its benefits closer to those who need it – the app has partnered with Shopee to spread more awareness on the technology of teleconsultation, specifically for moms. 

KonsultaMD will be launching a live stream on the Shopee app which aims to promote telemedicine, being the next best thing to face-to-face consultations due to its easy access, for moms who juggle daily all-around tasks. It will be called ‘Shopee MomDays’.

“These days, it’s a big challenge for mothers to balance work and household demands, especially with all the health and safety protocols. For them, a top health concern is the possibility of someone in the family getting sick and needing immediate doctor advice, but going to the clinic or hospital already poses a big health risk in itself,” said KonsultaMD in a press statement. 

The live stream will be every Monday from 3 to 4 pm, slated to kick off today, January 18, of the same time. It will be hosted by Dr. Alyxandra Kim Sangel, MD. Through the live stream, viewers will learn how to do check-ups via telemedicine.

“KonsultaMD is excited to partner with Shopee for MomDays. Moms want the option of consulting health professionals without having to leave the safety of their homes, and KonsultaMD conveniently provides 24/7 access to doctors through video or voice calls,” said Cholo Tagaysay, KonsultaMD’s COO.

During the live streams, there will be weekly games that will give five moms a chance to win KonsultaMD Family Annual Plan. The plan includes a 12-month membership for five people, unlimited voice consultation, 48 video consultations, as well as e-Prescription, e-laboratory request, e-medical certificate, and access to partner benefits.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Over a hundred brands will be part of Malaysia-based IPC Shopping Centre’s Mutiara Damansara New Year’s Eve countdown festival, to which the shopping center will host a 12-hour shoppable live stream.

The IPC Shopping Center is a national shopping mall anchored by Swedish home furnishing giant IKEA and one of Ikano Retail Asia’s portfolio in Southeast Asia region.

In its live stream on NYE, are exclusive deals, giveaways, and entertainment from local and international artists, which include Jeremy Zucker, Talitha Tan, and local talents such as Tata Wanqian, Koe Yeet, Natalie Chai, Fiza Saad, Ming Yue Ho, and Adzrin Mansor.

“Like many others in the retail industry, 2020 was a challenging year for us, but I am proud to say that it was during those times that we saw the best in our people and our tenants,” said Arnoud Bakker, head of leasing of Ikano Centres, part of IKEA Southeast Asia.

He added, “We remained flexible and agile, accelerating our digital developments through programs such as our personal shopper services and onboarding our tenants onto online food delivery platforms to increase their revenue streams. This event is another example of the innovation and entrepreneurship that we celebrate. We are excited that our tenants are supportive of our efforts as we continue to maintain a tenancy rate of 98 percent.”

The live stream will also host tenants while promoting their products. The exclusive deals are available for purchase until January 3, 2021, within Facebook. A collaboration with courier services Lalamove has also established to meet the same-day-delivery shopping demands for purchases made before 9 pm within Klang Valley.

“We are glad to still be able to hold onto our tradition of hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration for the community – except this time, virtually to reach a wider audience. While we are seeing a positive recovery in visitation in the past couple of weeks, we remain committed to exploring alternative ways for us to support our tenants,” said Karyn Lim, general manager of IPC Shopping Centre.

She added, “Therefore, like how Malaysians have risen to the occasion to #kitajagakita, we are thrilled to support 100 over brands across almost 40 tenants, ranging from Home Furnishing, Fashion & Sportswear, Beauty & Health, Food & Beverages, and Kids, Education & Technology, during the live stream. This New Year’s Eve will be slightly different for all, but we hope to continue offering exciting, fun, and more importantly, safe celebration for the community.”

The New Year’s Eve countdown by IPC Shopping Centre will kick off from December 31, 2020, at 12:30 pm to January 1, 2021, of the same time.

Singapore – Amazon Music and live streaming service Twitch have partnered to announce that Twitch’s live streaming functionality will now be integrated into the Amazon Music app, enabling users to move seamlessly between live streams and recorded music. 

Available since Wednesday on iOS and Android, artists worldwide will now be able to connect live with Amazon Music’s customers across all streaming tiers. 

With this incorporation come new features to navigate the live stream function, such as push notifications from artists users follow when they go live on Twitch. On the artists’ side, they will be able to easily link their Twitch channel to Amazon Music via the newly-launched Amazon Music for Artists app.

The companies revealed in the press statement that the COVID situation has been a big determinant in the platforms’ collaboration when during this time, in-person events have been largely limited. 

Amazon Music Director Ryan Redington said, “We’re providing artists with more tools to instantly engage with fans, and this new feature couldn’t arrive at a more crucial time in the industry.” 

Tracy Chan, VP, Head of Music at Twitch added, “Especially now in a time when traditional venues are closed and tours have been canceled, musicians are looking for new ways to continue creating, [connecting] with fans, and [building] community.”

A number of artists have already jumped in on the new feature, and starting this week, fans can now view artists’ shows live on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel.

Among others, The Killers’ Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. will join Amazon Music on 4 September at 1 pm Eastern Time to answer fan questions about their latest album, Imploding the Mirage.

Soul singer and storyteller Nicole Atkins will also be hosting on the platform a variety series slated every Wednesday at 7 pm ET, with performances and interviews with friends and artists including Elle King, Cut Worms, and Whitney.