(Yicai Global) Oct. 20 -- Two celebrity live sales hosts on TikTok’s Chinese version Douyin are jumping ship to the livestreaming channel run by e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding’s digital marketplace Taobao during the Double 11 online shopping bonanza next month, The Paper reported.

Neither Luo Yonghao nor Yu Minhong has signed exclusive agreements with Douyin, meaning they are free to choose other livestreaming platforms, an industry insider said.

Taobao and Douyin have not commented on the report.

This would mark the end of Luo’s exclusive partnership with Douyin. Luo, founder of struggling smartphone maker Smartisan Digital who once said he would acquire US tech giant Apple, joined Douyin in March 2020. On April 1 that year the flamboyant businessman smashed records with a turnover of CNY110 million (USD15.2 million) on his livestreaming debut, attracting more than 48 million viewers. He runs the studio ‘Make a Friend.’

Yu Minhong is the force behind edtech firm New Oriental Education and Technology Group which turned to livestreamed e-commerce earlier this year following a government crackdown on after-school lessons. His studio, Oriental Selection, which provides a mix of English lessons with live sales, was one of Douyin’s top performers in June, shifting CNY15 million (USD2.2 million) worth of commodities on June 10.

Taobao is said to be on the hunt for big names to front its live sales during the Double 11 shopping festival. Three of its top livestreamers, Viya, Zhu Chenhui and Lin Shanshan, were fined for tax evasion last year and forced to shut down their studios.

Yu does not represent Oriental Selection, and it’s not clear yet if Oriental Selection will open an account on Taobao Live or not, The Paper reported, citing a person close to the studio.

Luo’s ‘Make a Friend’ is considering doing livestreaming business on multiple platforms, including Beijing-based Douyin, a person close to the team said.

Editors: Shi Yi, Kim Taylor