A video live broadcast method, wherein the video live broadcast method is implemented by using a video live broadcast system, the video live broadcast system comprises a regional node cluster comprising at least two regional nodes, each regional node is configured to connect a video live broadcast client in a region of the regional node, and the method comprises: receiving, by a first regional node, a video stream sent by a video collection client, wherein the video collection client is a video live broadcast client in a region managed by the first regional node; triggering, by the first regional node, a process of determining, from the regional node cluster, a first active management node of the video stream, wherein after the first active management node is determined, the first active management node records live broadcast information of the video stream in a live broadcast record table stored by the first active management node, and synchronizes the live broadcast information of the video stream in a live broadcast record table of another regional node in the regional node cluster, and the live broadcast information of the video stream comprises an identifier of the video stream and information about the first regional node; receiving, by the first regional node, a video request sent by a second regional node, wherein the video request carries the identifier of the video stream, the second regional node is a regional node that is in the regional node cluster and that is of a region in which a video playing client configured to request for the video stream is located, and the second regional node sends the video request based on the live broadcast information of the video stream in a live broadcast record table stored by the second regional node; and sending, by the first regional node according to the video request, the video stream sent by the video collection client to the second regional node. receiving, by a first regional node, a video stream sent by a video collection client, wherein the video collection client is a video live broadcast client in a region managed by the first regional node; triggering, by the first regional node, a process of determining, from the regional node cluster, a first active management node of the video stream, wherein after the first active management node is determined, the first active management node records live broadcast information of the video stream in a live broadcast record table stored by the first active management node, and synchronizes the live broadcast information of the video stream in a live broadcast record table of another regional node in the regional node cluster, and the live broadcast information of the video stream comprises an identifier of the video stream and information about the first regional node; receiving, by the first regional node, a video request sent by a second regional node, wherein the video request carries the identifier of the video stream, the second regional node is a regional node that is in the regional node cluster and that is of a region in which a video playing client configured to request for the video stream is located, and the second regional node sends the video request based on the live broadcast information of the video stream in a live broadcast record table stored by the second regional node; and sending, by the first regional node according to the video request, the video stream sent by the video collection client to the second regional node.