I’ve been fascinated by Meerkat the past few days. That is, if I’ve been lucky enough when a live stream actually, you know, streamed. Clearly their servers have been hammered by traffic recently, thanks to the likes of SXSW and Jimmy Fallon among others. 

If you’re not in tech or haven’t yet heard, Meerkat allows you to broadcast live video with your phone. Currently only iOS is supported, though at least one unofficial Android app is available for viewing streams only. And if you’re into just viewing and not broadcasting, you might as well skip the app and visit meerkatstreams.com in your browser.

Haters are already rampant, and that’s to be expected with any new social media entrant. Also to be expected is everyone wondering what practical, long-term use this will offer. The first ‘meerkat’ I watched was with my 14-year-old son as I described the app to him, and it was some dude working at his desk. FASCINATING. But a few meerkats later and eventually I was watching Jimmy Fallon do a live rehearsal of his monologue prior to taping. That was pretty remarkable.

I don’t know what to expect of Meerkat’s viability, permanence, or lasting utility. But if the hype is any indication, they’re ripe for acquisition. They’re also ripe for lawsuits and traditional media backlash, e.g. live-broadcasting televised events.

I, for one, welcome Meerkat’s disruptive entrance. I’ll be watching from the sidelines—literally and figuratively—to see how this plays out. 

P.S. There’s a fascinating backstory on Meerkat’s evolution, including its original name, Yevvo, and how very few people cared about it. (Sound familiar?)