YouTube Now Live but How …Lively?

YouTube is now probably adding up to see if they can say their idea of offering live streaming started off with the right foot or not.

Yesterday, the Almighty of the Internet joined the live video realm. Youtube debuted the broadcast of live shows with an event in San Francisco. The broadcast was half concert and half variety show and triggered different comments some praising the effort, others calling it a fiasco.

The event was spiced up with different celebs, artists and performers among which the scientists from the Mythbusters crew, will.i.am, Lisa Nova, Michael Buckley, and Joe Satriani.

Here’s NewTeeVee's coverage of the event in NTV is Live from YouTube Live:

OK, the show is on. Katy Perry just performed "Hot and Cold," now Beardyman is on beat-boxing. You don't need us for the live-blog of the mainstage, way better to watch the live-stream (no embed, sorry). But some notes on the scene: People are definitely hyped, and the place is packed (though it's a pretty small venue… YouTube PR said they're expecting 2-3,000 attendees). Lots of colorful characters — plenty of skateboarders, but no kittens or puppies so far. Biggest applause since the show started (by far) was for Tay Zonday. Chris and I are across the catwalk from Chad Hurley and Larry Page, who seem psyched.

While the San Francisco managed to raise the interest of some viewers (although not impressive by number), Tokyo webcast was a fiasco. Mike Abundo says in YouTube Live Tokyo Fails:

Whereas YouTube Live in San Francisco attracted 700,000 concurrent live viewers, YouTube Live Tokyo attracts none — because it's not even live. The show was supposed to start at 3pm Japan Standard Time. It is now 7:56pm in Japan, and there's nary a live stream in sight.

YouTube's plunge into live broadcasting follows the website attempt to financially benefit from its popularity by allowing advertisers "sponsor" videos and bid on key words people use for searches on the site.

Of course, most of the time progress means change but it remains to be seen if the vice versa is also legitimate in this case. YouTube Live has placed a bet. We’ll just have to see if it’s a sustained one.