The online video platform Vimeo announced the acquisition of Livestream and the launch of its own live streaming service. Livestream already streams over 10 million events a year and will be used as a platform for professional users to produce and distribute their events on Vimeo. 

The new service appears to mean Vimeo has abandoned for the moment the idea of launching its own subscription VoD service, in order to focus more on creators as a way to monetise its platform. The company said live streaming was the number one feature requested by creators. 

Livestream provides tools and services for capturing, broadcasting and editing live events, from its live event Mevo camera to its live production switcher Studio. With Vimeo Live, creators can broadcast live events in full 1080p with built-in cloud transcoding and adaptive streaming. Auto-archived live videos on Vimeo can be replaced with files to support 4K viewing. 

The addition of Livestream's syndication tools will enable live distribution across social platforms in the future, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Twitter. Vimeo will also integrate live with its over-the-top technology, enabling live content in branded apps across iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon, Samsung and other platforms. 

No financial details of the acquisition or new services were announced.