Tuning in to watch creators is quickly becoming a cornerstone of digital entertainment. It's an online sector that's growing explosively, but despite all the excitement, it seems to face some big questions and hurdles. Both viewers and creators are feeling a certain unease with the current live streaming experience, which leads us to wonder if there's an impetus for change.
One of the newcomers to the live streaming space is a platform called Polar Bear. Should you check out what it's up to?
The problem with traditional platforms
The major live streaming platforms – YouTube, Twitch and TikTok – have not built their impressive empires without controversy. The live streaming content creators have voiced their share of complaints, such as high fees, a lack of monetization options and the emergence of algorithms that work against them.
The hows and whys are obvious and important when talking about platforms as powerful and centralizing as these. But viewers – especially viewers who are also content creators – have their own complaints. They are not particularly well compensated for their engagement on the platform, and they are not even really compensated for the work that goes into the platforms' content.
What is different about the polar bear?
With a mission to change the rules of the game and address content sharing issues, Polar Bear is entering the Web3 world. The platform is fascinating because it champions true decentralization – leveraging blockchain technology for real, not just buzzword, impact on content distribution and consumption.
Yet the fascinating aspects of Polar Bear and its value to potential users don't end there. Its obvious desire to fairly and appropriately reward those who contribute to its ecosystem, whether as creators or viewers, positions it as a necessary alternative to ad-driven Web 2.0 platforms. Offers full of affiliate links? This is a platform for you, not its users. Can we expect any platform to be more like Polar Bear and operate in a way that is fair to users?
A platform for interaction and engagement
A standout aspect of Polar Bear is its focus on creating a more interactive and engaging atmosphere. The platform isn't just about streaming; it's about building communities. Streamers on Polar Bear can mint their own tokens, create private fan clubs, and create special NFTs that enhance the fan experience.
This allows fans to support their must-see TV shows in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways, and streamers can seek out revenue themselves that comes directly from the screen and isn't available to them on Mightier Blue. From a pure viewer perspective, Polar Bear offers a different type of participation. Its Watch2Earn model lets users earn some money for participating in the stream.
What’s next for Polar Bear?
The vision of the still young Polar Bear platform is clear. It aims to systematize the user-centric live streaming economy in a decentralized and transparent way. As it develops, Polar Bear will be a great example of disruptive innovation to see how established platforms like Twitch, YouTube or even Facebook Live react or adapt.
The invitation to the Polar Bear prototype experience describes the viewer as a “test subject of a new form of interactive visual entertainment.” The prototype itself is a live event with “test subjects” interacting in predetermined and presumably safe ways.
To join the conversation Polar Bear is starting, follow the platform on its various social media channels:
