ProSiebenSat.1 Digital, the online and video business of the German media group, and South Korea-based internet company Naver's mobile messaging affiliate Line in Japan, are launching the Line Live mobile live streaming platform in Germany as a first step in what could be a broader roll'out of the service in Europe.
The Line Live app is based on user-generated content and targeted at the 17+ age group. It rewards users with gift items such as unicorns or hearts when they share information with others. The service was originally launched in Japan in December 2015, and now has over 24 million monthly active users in this market.
Christian Dankl, chairman of the management board of ProSiebenSat.1 Digital, said the new Line Live platform is its response to the global live streaming trend. In Asia, Line Live is already recording enormous growth in user numbers, engagement and monetisation, he said. It is building on this success and bringing it to Germany to begin with, because it believes in the market for user-generated live streaming and its wide reach among the young target group. Line Corporation’s experience and technology are key criteria for the success of the platform and it is interested in a long-term cooperation, he said.
Eunjung Lee, senior vice president of business development at Line Plus Corporation, said Line hopes this partnership "can be a meaningful beginning" of its long-term commitment to growing in the region. The company's mobile applications are available in 230 countries or regions and in nineteen languages, and plans are afoot to expand the service at European level.
The launch of the app in Germany is supported by a campaign involving ProSiebenSat.1 group companies Studio71 and Starwatch Entertainment, as well as 70 YouTube "influencers" who are calling on viewers to get in contact with them via Line Live. The app is available free of charge in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
