P2P STREAMING MEDIA INDUSTRY IN CHINA

The peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming media industry opened up a new era for the cyber age, has had a significant effect on many people?s leisure time, and has changed the way many people use entertainment. Over the past few years, this industry has developed dramatically in China, and it is thriving. In terms of the current situation, the P2P streaming media industry holds typical Chinese features that both enrich the audience?s cultural life, and have some impact on other kinds of mass media. This paper analyzes the P2P streaming media industry in China in order to recommend solutions to the challenges faced by the industry. It introduces various technical terms related to P2P and describes the overall industrial situation of P2P streaming media in China. It utilizes Porter?s Five Forces model for an analysis of the entire industry and assesses key success factors (KSFs). Concurrently, this article identifies the competitive advantages of P2P steaming media over other forms of media delivery, and examines its influence on other industries. It is important to note that P2P streaming media does face various obstacles in its developmental stages, and it is developing, but this paper makes strategic recommendations for solutions to the challenges that P2P streaming media faces.