How China's Douyu is banking on top gamers to add new earning streams

Cameras flashed and fans screamed, as Liu Mou stepped into the spotlight on a sweltering summer evening. In the industrial heartland city of Wuhan, tens of thousands of spectators jam-packed the waterside strip that bore witness to Chairman Mao Zedong’s iconic swims across the Yangtze river half a century ago. In unison, the mob roared “hubby” — the moniker jokingly assigned to many male celebrities in China — and Liu, 28, waved back with a smirk. The crowd was mostly men.