Written by Zaiko | Apr 13, 2020 3:00:00 PM
Japan’s newest ticketing startup, Zaiko, has begun offering “ticketed livestreams” to all its entertainment clients.
In a recent press release, the company’s CEO, Malek Nasser, explained that his company “recognized that the entire event related industry had ground to a halt because of COVID-19, so we decided to swiftly build a solution to save an industry we love.”
The ticketing service, which already supports six languages and four currencies, allows fans a chance to donate to their favorite artists while enjoying streamed concerts. “More importantly to artists,” says Nasser, “Zaiko is a white label solution, allowing full branding and data retention.”
The company tested its new system with the Japanese indie group cero, whose latest tour finale was supposed to take place at a 700-capacity venue but was cancelled because of the coronavirus emergency. Zaiko devised a way to create a ticketed stream so that fans could watch the show online from home.
Though the public only had two-days notice, more than 3,500 people watched the live performance.
Zaiko uses what it calls Stickits, branded tokens that are visible at the bottom of the streaming video, allowing viewers to “tip” the performers during the show.
Stickits remain on the fan’s page after the show and become collectibles. There is also a button called “Conversations” on the screen that enables both fans and performers to use Twitter hashtags to discuss the show in real time. According to Zaiko executive Josh Barry, “Twitter exploded during the cero event with fans posting photos of themselves enjoying the event and their live viewing set-up at home.” As a result, Zaiko received a “rush of inquiries from other musicians, sports teams, and venues.”
Zaiko says that the introduction of 5G networks to Japan this year will enhance the full effect of live streaming capabilities, bringing virtual reality and multi-camera streaming to online content, thus providing a “second stream of income” for all events and “amplifyng the in-person experience.”
“A livestream will never replace a real world event,” says Nasser, “but there is currently a real world need and in the future, as the world recovers from COVID-19, we will see live streaming tickets selling alongside real world entry as an easy way for fans to attend a show from far away.”