As if dominating the Internet video world isn't enough, YouTube now aims to up the ante for mass audience online with two live-streamed entertainment events this weekend that will originate in San Francisco and Tokyo.
YouTubeLive! at 5 p.m. Saturday at Fort Mason will team online-made sensations such as Bo Burnham, Esmee Denters and Hollywood Reporter Michael Buckley with a star-studded lineup of musicians and artists known worldwide — including rapper Akon, English music sensation Katy Perry, emcee-turned-producer Will.i.am and director John Chu.
The show will mark YouTube's first attempt at streaming a live show.
But if you're hoping to score a ticket, you're out of luck. Only a few hundred were distributed to the public in an effort to encourage online viewing.
"You can log in on Saturday afternoon and watch these acts come together," said Michelle Covington, a representative of the public relations firm Allison and Partners, which represents YouTube. "YouTube stars will perform. It's basically going to be a great way to bring people together for a free concert over the Internet."
The lineup, selected by YouTube users, takes online interactivity to a new level, organizers said.
"We'd been asking different YouTube community members who they wanted to see," YouTube marketing guru Chris Di Cesare said. "We didn't choose the performers — they did."
Each of the artists, whether their followings are broad-based or strictly
YouTube-based, has in some way interacted with the YouTube community.
"We looked at the most-subscribed channels when selecting our performers," Di Cesare said. "Like Fred (Figglehorn), for example. He's this 17-year-old kid who has a massive following. On the other hand, you have people like Katy Perry, who has her own channel on YouTube where she actually interacts with people."
In total, the 50 performers are responsible for well over 2.5 billion hits on YouTube, according to Di Cesare.
Buckley (YouTube.com/whatthebuck) began posting his thoughts on celebrities and Hollywood two years ago. Since then, he has amassed a following of nearly 6 million fans, who tune into his show every week to hear his thoughts on the latest Hollywood gossip.
"It became something so much bigger than I could've possibly imagined," said Buckley, who will act as a backstage host for the upcoming event. "To say that YouTube has changed my life is definitely an understatement."
The channel will have multiple live streams running simultaneously — one for the main stage and others for different aspects of the event, Buckley said.
Users can switch between streams to catch all of the live action as it happens.
"We've been seeing the community on YouTube get together in cities across the world," Di Cesare said. "We always thought it would be great if YouTube did a global event, so we decided to do it."
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