CCTV, Alibaba team up for live World Cup video streaming

E-commerce group Alibaba has launched a mobile application via its cloud computing subsidiary with China Central Television (CCTV) to provide China’s only live stream of World Cup matches for mobile users.

The developer expects the authorised app to notch up 10 million users a day, Rapid TV News reports. 

“CCTV will focus on content production during the World Cup, and Web companies such as Alibaba will take care of the technical problems,” said Wang Wenbin, head of Alibaba’s cloud unit.

CCTV reportedly spent US$115 million to secure the broadcasting rights from FIFA to air the 2010 and 2014 World Cups in China.

The state-run station issued warning about unauthorised online match video sharing in China, ahead of the opening ceremony in Brazil on 12 June.

“No news organisation, enterprise or individual should show [World Cup] game content of any kind on TV, radio, the Internet, IPTV or mobile applications until the end of 2014,” CCTV said.