Live broadcasting site YouNow, which uses social media in order to control live streaming content, has combined with a similar counterpart. The company recently acquired blogTV to increase views on its real-time platform. Will the combined effort increase traffic to the site, or will it continue to operate in the shadows of more established video sites like YouTube?

YouNow and blogTV have taken the idea of live streaming beyond other sites by integrating social interaction. Registered users can go on and perform live through different channels such as dancing, politics, cooking, etc. Depending on the performance, viewers can rate positively or negatively and comment through a live chat feed. If the performers don’t meet the criteria to stay on, they get the “hook” in this virtual “Gong Show” format.

“YouNow, with its fresh social and mobile functionality, is a great environment for our dedicated users,” says Oren Levy, founder and CEO of blogTV. “I am excited to be working with YouNow’s experienced A-list team to continue to innovate in the social television space.” Levy is planned to stay on as a consultant while the remaining blogTV staff work under YouNow management.

YouNow is accommodating newcomers from blogTV by creating specific channels, and the option to broadcast right away, rather than waiting to perform live as most channels on YouNow operate.

“The acquisition of BlogTV is all about users more than anything else,” TechCrunch reports. “BlogTV was founded in 2006, and over the years has amassed some 4 million registered users in that time. So the folks at YouNow likely believe that getting those users onto its platform will help to boost the socialness of its social network.”

For those that are currently are a registered user on blogTV can easily merge with the YouNow website through Facebook, and can have all their broadcasts that are both live and recorded managed easily with a new YouNow page.

“Our business is to connect people, and provide an audience to anyone who wishes to broadcast,” says Adi Sideman, CEO, YouNow. “With the addition of the blogTV community, our ability to do just that has significantly increased.”