iQIYI Expands Short-Form Content Strategy and Innovations in TV Drama Production

iQIYI's Strategic Initiatives in TV Drama

In a move that marks a significant shift in the landscape of the TV drama industry, iQIYI, China’s leading online entertainment portal, has made quite an impression at the recent China TV Drama Production Industry Conference. During this event, held in Shenzhen, the company's founder and CEO, Yu Gong, addressed industry executives, elaborating on a strategy that keenly focuses on adapting to evolving viewer preferences. His remarks underlined a critical pivot in the way content is produced and consumed today.

A Viewer-Centric Approach

Gong emphasized the essence of placing viewers at the core of content strategies, stating, “Success in our industry goes beyond content length, cast influence, and recent technological advancements. What truly matters is respecting the creative process and understanding what resonates with our audience.” This approach goes beyond merely reacting to trends; it also includes valuing the creators behind the content.

In support of this vision, iQIYI has launched various initiatives aimed at diversifying its offerings. These include serialized long-form dramas and, importantly, a robust selection of both short and mini-drama formats that cater to modern consumption trends.

The Mini-Drama Ecosystem

At the forefront of this initiative is the expansion of iQIYI's mini-drama ecosystem. Senior Vice President Haitao Yang detailed two ambitious programs — the “Thousand Mini-Dramas Initiative” and the “Hundred Short-Dramas Initiative.” These efforts aim to meet the rising demand for concise storytelling, capitalizing on society’s increasing appetite for quick entertainment bites.

The Mini-Drama Theater specializes in short vertical content, ranging from 1-3 minutes, tackling genres from romance to suspense, while the Short-Drama Theater provides longer episodes of 5-20 minutes, focusing on period pieces and urban narratives.

By harnessing its expertise in long-form video production, iQIYI has successfully built a library of over 10,000 mini-dramas, thereby capturing 95% of the leading mini-drama market share. This reach was solidified when their first mini-drama surpassed RMB 1 million (approximately USD 140,000) in revenue within a few months of its release, validating this strategy.

Enhancing the User Experience

Additionally, iQIYI is revamping its apps to improve the overall user experience, maintaining a dual strategy: the main app continues to focus on premium long-form content with a membership model, whereas the iQIYI Lite app highlights free-to-view mini-dramas, supported by advertising. Reports indicate that viewing times for mini-dramas increasingly rival traditional entertainment formats, showcasing their rising popularity.

Technological Innovations in Production

Alongside its content strategy, iQIYI is making significant investments in technology to enhance production quality. Vice President Liang Zhu spoke about the breakthroughs achieved with virtual filming technology, which is being integrated into their long-form drama outputs.

For instance, their original drama