Cartoonist Hu Xiaopei, known as RC, does live broadcasts while she draws. The three pictures were finished during her show. [Photo/China Daily]

Earlier this year, Han Yiying, 27, a League of Legends player and broadcaster, signed a three-year contract with Huya.com in a deal reportedly worth about 90 million yuan, making her the most valuable game broadcaster.

As if that's not enough, Jay Chou, now a Chinese music icon from Taiwan, has broadcast himself playing League of Legends online several times on Tencent's platform in recent months, each time causing a frenzy among media and fans. He even put out a theme song for the game called Hero in March.

Guo says he used to spend three hours every night after dinner watching various broadcasts. That was when he worked full-time in the human resources department of a small biotech company. However, he recently quit and says he now has much more time to watch his favorite shows.

For viewers like Guo, watching broadcasts kills time, while for those doing the broadcasts there can be more to it than making money.

Hu Xiaopei, 31, a cartoonist known as RC, uses the broadcasts she does as a way of making herself more productive. Hu, who studied two-dimensional animation in Australia, broadcasts on Bilibili.com occasionally, although all the audience sees is the works she creates and how she creates them.

"I just wanted to stop myself from being sidetracked. Working alone my efficiency is really low, but when people are watching me, I feel guilty about wasting time. So as you would expect when I start broadcasting my efficiency shot up.

"I have to tell everybody even when I need some water or to go to the toilet. So as long as I can draw, I won't let my hand stop. The pictures that used to take me so long to finish can be done in two or three hours."