🔥Stalecollected in 19m

Long Video Platforms Struggle vs AI Shorts

Long Video Platforms Struggle vs AI Shorts
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🔥Read original on 36氪

💡AI shorts crush long video marketshare; strategies for AI content adaptation vital

⚡ 30-Second TL;DR

What Changed

iQiyi revenue down 7%,扣非净利润 down ~75%

Why It Matters

AI video tools level the field, enabling long platforms to pivot to PUGC models and compete with short content dominance. This could reshape IP economies but risks further user shift if adaptation lags.

What To Do Next

Prototype short dramas using Kling or Jimeng APIs to benchmark against traditional production.

Who should care:Founders & Product Leaders

Key Points

  • iQiyi revenue down 7%,扣非净利润 down ~75%
  • 2025 long drama TOP20 play volume: 29.6B, -20% YoY
  • AI short/manhua dramas dominate with Kling, Jimeng
  • Sora 2 (Oct 2025), Seedance 2 (Jan 2026) mature for long video
  • Global peers like Netflix thrive despite shorts

🧠 Deep Insight

Background and context from public sources — not the original article. 5 sources cited.

🔑 Enhanced Key Takeaways

  • Several smaller Chinese streaming platforms ceased operations in late 2025 amid ongoing industry decline, with experts predicting continuation into 2026[4].
  • iQiyi placed four titles in the top 10 new dramas by effective playback volume in 2025 but none in the top three, where Youku and Tencent Video dominated[1].
  • Membership revenue, iQiyi's largest stream, fell 5% and advertising dropped 9% in 2025, contributing to total revenue of RMB 27.3 billion[1].
  • Subscription rates among Chinese new media users rose from 22% in 2022 to 35% in 2024, while advertising CPM prices declined from 120 CNY in 2020 to 80 CNY[5].
📊 Competitor Analysis▸ Show
PlatformKey Metrics (2025)MonetizationNotes
iQiyiRevenue RMB 27.3B (-7%), Profit -81%, 4 titles top 10 dramasMembership (-5%), Ads (-9%)No top-3 dramas[1]
Tencent Video137M DAU (Q2), Top-3 drama spotsHybrid ads/subscriptionsOriginal content, short-form focus[3]
YoukuSwept top drama spotsSubscriptions/adsStrong content lineup[1]

🔮 Future ImplicationsAI analysis grounded in cited sources

Chinese long video platforms' user time erosion by shorts will exceed 30% by 2027
Short-form platforms like Douyin dominate daily active users while long drama play volume already dropped 20% YoY in 2025, per industry reports[1][2].
AI video generation tools will generate over 50% of short dramas by end-2026
Rapid maturation of Sora 2 and Seedance 2 enables cost-effective production, accelerating shift from traditional long content as platforms pivot[article].
APAC online video revenue will reach US$89B by 2029 despite China declines
Forecasts show growth from US$64B in 2024 driven by digital ads (70% of spend) and CTV expansion, offsetting traditional TV contraction[3].

Timeline

2022
Subscription rates at 22% for Chinese new media platforms[5]
2024
Subscription rates reach 35%, ad CPM falls to 80 CNY[5]
2025-10
Sora 2 released, advancing AI long video generation
2025-Q2
Tencent Video hits 137M DAU amid short-form push[3]
2025-12
Multiple Chinese streaming platforms cease operations[4]
2026-01
Seedance 2 launched, maturing AI for long-form content
📰

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Original source: 36氪

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