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Meerkat launches on Android before Twitter's Periscope

Meerkat launches on Android before Twitter's Periscope

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The underdog is first to market again

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Live streaming was the buzz word at SXSW this year. Between Twitch, YouNow, Periscope, and Meerkat, the ability to broadcast yourself in real time is becoming more and more mainstream. Meerkat was the first to garner big hype, but saw that initial buzz fade after the launch of Periscope. Both rely on Twitter for distribution, but Periscope is also owned by Twitter. Today, however, Meerkat launched on Android, beating its larger rival to the punch on the world's most widely used mobile operating system.

In its first day on the Play Store Meerkat garnered between 100,000 and 500,000 downloads, the lowest range given by Google for apps that cross the six-figure mark. It currently has over 1,200 reviews and an average rating of 2.5 stars. On Twitter's most recent earnings call, CEO Dick Costolo said that Periscope saw 1 million users sign up in the first 10 days after launch.

Neither app is topping the charts right now. Meerkat, after peeking among the top 20 social apps, is now in the top 200. Periscope has maintained a position in the top 20 social apps and the top 200 overall. These are early days for mobile live streaming however, and both apps have become widely used among media outlets and celebrities who want to give their audience a peek into what's happening in real time.