(Yicai Global) March 31 -- Chinese internet giant Baidu today struck a partnership deal with Kunzhou Information Technology, which runs livestreaming platform Chushou TV, giving the video game software publisher and distributor exclusive rights to stream all of Baidu's titles.

More than 1,000 streamers on Chushou TV have already joined Baidu's video websites to stream games, and users can also watch Chushou TV's live broadcasts on Baidu apps, an insider at Shanghai-based Chushou TV told Yicai Global.

Game livestreaming is attracting an increasing number of companies in China, leading to fierce competition. Starting such a business also does not come cheap. It is not realistic for Baidu to spare a team for a non-core business, according to analysts, so a third-party tie-up is a wise move.

Game streamers also favor emerging platforms such as Kuaishou and Bilibili, and would not consider Baidu on its own because it does not hold out much promise in the business, an e-sports practitioner told Yicai Global. But its link with Kunzhou will bring huge traffic and monetization opportunities through Baidu's game websites to Chushou TV's streamers, so the benefits for Chushou TV cannot be ignored, he added.

Chushou TV will also work with Beijing-based Baidu to promote deep cooperation on content innovation, streamer celebrity-making, and revenue sharing. Founded in July 2015, Chushou TV has more than 8 million mobile game streamers and 90 million users, according to public records.

Baidu is not the first internet giant to partner with Chushou TV. It got the go ahead from Tencent Holdings at the end of last year to become the first non-Tencent-backed streaming platform to acquire game copyrights from Tencent without any capital investment.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Peter Thomas