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Terence Lee · · 12 min readBigo is controversial. But it’s way bigger than you think
TikTok, a formidable Facebook rival owned by China’s Bytedance, has been hogging the global limelight – and drawing government scrutiny.
Bytedance also has a chaser in the rearview mirror. In Singapore, Bigo Technology is making a statement by holding its own awards show.
A broadcaster at Bigo’s glitzy annual event / Photo credit: Bigo
Amid the free-flowing wine and canapes, celebrities stream into the posh Capitol Theatre, posing for pictures on the red carpet before blending into the crowd.
But these are not typical starlets parading in front of photographers. Instead, they’re whipping out selfie sticks, preening and talking into their phones. A magician conjures a black rose from thin air, impressing a porcelain-skinned woman and her adoring online audience.
Meet the broadcasters of popular livestreaming app Bigo Live. Many have flown into Singapore from as far as Iran and the US for the app’s annual gala, which is held in early January.
Dance performance at the Bigo awards gala / Photo credit: Bigo
The event is just one sign of Bigo’s growing influence. In St. Petersburg, Russia, thousands gather at a party for Likee, a TikTok competitor that’s even more popular than Bigo Live. Hundreds more came together in Gurgaon, India, and Jakarta, Indonesia, for various festivities organized by the company.
Meanwhile, in other parts of Asia and the Middle East, people are texting on Imo, a messaging app developed by Bigo.
“Imo is popular, but not as much as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger,” says Faizan Aslam, a startup founder from Pakistan.
A party organized by Likee / Photo credit: Bigo
In Bangladesh, a senior executive at a ride-hailing firm who declined to be named says he feels Bigo’s presence.
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The company has more than a livestreaming app under its sleeve. It’s also a magnet for controversy.
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