Veteran S’pore TV Stars Joined Forces to Start a New Sales Livestream Channel

Showbiz Legends Jack Neo and Terrence Cao Pioneer Star Live: A New Frontier in E-commerce Live-Streaming

Local film director and actor Jack Neo announced his latest project to the masses.

(Before you ask, no, it is not another instalment of the Money No Enough franchise. In fact, filming for that movie has wrapped up and will premiere on Chinese New Year 2024)

63-year-old Jack Neo launched a brand new e-commerce live-streaming platform known as Star Live, partnering with a familiar face that resonates with avid Channel 8 watchers growing up in the 90s – Terrence Cao!

Don’t Say that the Older Generation Cannot Keep Up with the Times.

At Star Live’s press event held at Pan Pacific Singapore on 28 November 2023, Neo revealed that he had been doing live streams for a year, showcasing his overseas shopping sprees and weekly group walks to his followers.

In an earlier venture in 2023, Neo partnered with a Hong Kong jewellery manufacturer, successfully selling around $500,000 worth of products online. 

He came across Cao, who was coincidentally doing a live stream of his own, on a shopping trip in Paris last year.

Neo laughingly confessed that he thought Cao looked lonely streaming by himself in the capital of France.

Cao, 56, was running his own e-commerce company Sibay Shiok alongside actress Dawn Yeoh at that time, vending a wide variety of products ranging from snacks to facial products.

The actor often collaborates with fellow home-grown celebrities like Collin Chee, Jason Oh and Peter Yu, and the live-streams won the hearts of viewers due to Cao’s chemistry and witty back-and-forth with his partners.

Sibay Shiok proved to be so popular within the masses they had once raised S$100K for a charity event.

Well-aware of Cao’s profound expertise in live-streaming and the backing of his influential circle of celebrity friends, Neo quickly realised that the two men could become a formidable duo online. 

And Neo’s outreach to Cao appears to be impeccably timed, especially considering Cao’s sentiments shared during their press event.

Cao states, “Jack is one of the most, if not the most, hard-working man I have ever seen in my life,” and “I am 56 years old now and I have no direction in life, so it’s better to follow a man with direction, right?”

As such, the pair joined hands and established Star Live together, roping in more local personalities like actors Chen Xiuhan, Cassandra Lee and Tang Miaoling to become the faces of their platform. 

The “Star Power” of Star Live

Both Neo and Cao have expressed high hopes for the longevity of Star Live. 

Cao mentioned that their live sales channels can potentially draw large viewership from both Singapore and Malaysia, and with the huge pool of celebrities, they can host live streams every day.

Neo added, “E-commerce is such a big market and I think we can go on for a long time. You may not want to buy something from us today, but you can always come back and buy another time.”

For now, the partners clarify, Sibay Shiok will remain running alongside Star Live, with the former’s primary function being generating sales while the latter aims to create brand awareness through marketing promotions. 

They also wish to collaborate with other live-stream sales channels from Malaysia and China in the near future.

In the meantime, Cao is reportedly starring in Neo’s upcoming film – I Not Stupid 3, the latest instalment of a well-beloved local film franchise about the struggles of children in the Singaporean education system.