"Live video is the next inflection point in social": Saket Saurabh, #fame

The live video streaming app has launched an engagement programme called Fame Talent League to gain user traction and create good quality content.

Live video streaming platform #fame (earlier Famebox Networks), has launched Fame Talent League (FTL), an initiative that will enable people to showcase their talent through mobile devices.

The company which functioned as a YouTube multi-channel network has gone solo launching its own video app in May this year. Targeted at millennials in the age bracket of 18-24 years, the platform claims to have gained traction ever since its app launch.

Saket Saurabh, CEO, #fame, tells us that currently, more than 30,000 performers have gone live on the app. #fame helps brands reach and engage audiences through customised solutions spanning talent-based content, properties and digital video services. The app claims to have recorded over three million downloads since the launch, with a total of 63,000 live sessions so far, and 500 live sessions every day.

The league, he adds, is an 'incentive and engagement programme', aimed at increasing live streaming usage.

"We build a gamification layer on top of the platform which rewards good content creators. After the launch of our app, we have received an overwhelming response which led us to launch Fame Talent League. The platform hosts content from top-rated performers," he says.

Like YouTube, a user can sign in to the #fame app through Gmail, Facebook, or through an email ID. After signing up, they can tap on the 'Go Live' button and create a video and upload it. The video uploaded is called a Beam. As per the Talent League rules, beams are created on a daily basis and is rated on likes and views. Each view translates into one point.

Saurabh informs that the League helps promote good quality content be it singing, dancing, comedy, or even fashion tips. However, he is quick to add that while there is no restriction on the kind of content, usually genres such as love and relationships, fashion, comedy and entertainment do well.

While the Talent League aims to attract talent from across the country, the company says it is keeping a close watch on objectionable content. A dedicated team, we are told, which works round the clock, monitors content on the app.

"Objectionable content is immediately removed from the app beams or chats. It is monitored round the clock and there is a Report Abuse feature which empowers the user to report such content. We are building technology which automatically detects objectionable content and weeds it out from the app," he says.

As a digital video network, #fame works closely with other digital video platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Fundamentally, its business model is ad-driven. Saurabh informs that its end user monetisation programme is underway, and will be launched soon. While its subscription model is a revenue-generation option for the company, it does not want to create a pay wall on the app. The company calls its top-rated beamers as famestars. The programme will reward performers in terms of revenue sharing.

The company has been working with over 20 brands across categories such as BFSI, FMCG, auto, durables. It aims to work with over 60 brands in the next six months through a combination of live and video-on-demand content.

Speaking about the marketing challenges, Saurabh says that the company's working hard to create the live video streaming category in India.

"In the past, we have seen various milestones such as email, social networking and the rise of video. Live video is the next inflection point in social. It is going to witness exponential growth owing to the launch of 4G, economic infrastructure, and smartphones penetration," he justifies.

"The company aims to make live video mainstream in the next few years which prompted us to build this platform," Saurabh adds.

#fame operates in a space which is dominated by global giants like the Google-owned YouTube and Facebook. Saurabh, however, is unfazed by their presence and feels that both these platforms are distribution channels for #fame's content.

"Digital is seamless as a medium, and these platforms act as great marketing and distribution platforms for us. While YouTube and Facebook are platforms which will grow, it is our ability to localise content which will differentiate us," he asserts.

The company is planning further expansion in Asia while it continues to woo more users to its platform.