Student paid to live stream video games for 240 hours in 26 days ‘dies of exhaustion’ after working through five straight nights in China
- The student was found unconscious by his roommates in Zhengzhou, China
- It’s built to stream for 240 hours and upload 12 short clips in just 26 days
- He was reportedly paid at least £323 for the work
A Chinese student and video game streamer was declared dead of possible exhaustion after livestreaming five nights in a row.
The student, whose surname was Li, was in his final year at Pingdingshan Vocational and Technical College in Henan, and was contracted by a Chinese media company to stream as part of an internship required to graduate in June.
He was contracted to livestream 240 hours and upload 15 short clips in just 26 days to earn a minimum salary of just 3,000 yuan (£323).
According to the obligations, he would have to stream 38.4% of the 26 days for which he was contacted, in addition to his school work and outside life.
Li’s roommates, who all lived in a rented house in Zhengzhou, said they called an ambulance after finding the young man unresponsive and breathing rapidly in his sleep.
Li was signed to live stream video game footage for 240 hours in just 26 days, uploading 15 short clips to earn a minimum salary of just 3,000 yuan (£323) (stock image)
According to the obligations, he would have to stream 38.4% of the 26 days for which he was contacted, in addition to his school work and outside life (Stock Image)
Livestream data viewed by a Chinese news channel revealed that he had livestreamed for Henan Yihui Culture Media from 9pm to 6pm in the five days before his death on November 10.
His father said he was pressured to move to the night shift to earn better tips.
The company denied pressuring him to take on the night shifts, but a representative admitted to Chinese media that many livestreamers struggled with work-life balance while working for them.
The rep also denied that Li was a formal employee or intern, claiming instead, “We provide the venue and we receive a commission from his tips, and it’s just a simple partnership.”
The company reportedly offered the family only 5,000 yuan (£555) ‘out of humanitarianism’, but insisted any further requests for compensation would have to be made through legal channels.
It is currently unknown whether Li’s father will take legal action against the company, but he said his son’s school had offered help and legal assistance and he had sought compensation through insurance companies.
MailOnline has contacted Henan Yihui Culture Media for comment.