Viewership of variety shows on iQIYI, a leading online content provider, rose by 175% during the Spring Festival holidays (Feb 8 to 15) as compared to the pre-holiday period, a report by iQIYI Research Institute showed on Feb 19. The 2024 Spring Festival Gala, China's most-watched TV program, took the top spot in variety show rankings on iQIYI during the break.
For the fifth consecutive year, iQIYI dominated the holiday season with its highly anticipated drama series. Period drama Always on the Move triumphed with a nearly 400% surge in viewing time during the holiday season compared with the pre-holiday period.
Meanwhile, previous original dramas also continued to capture audiences. Data indicates that the eight previously acclaimed dramas from iQIYI, including Destined, Mysterious Lotus Casebook and Story of Kunning Palace, all achieved top 30 rankings for viewing time during the holiday period.
In a similar trend, films recorded a 6 percent uptick in viewing time compared to the previous period, with comedy Johnny Keep Walking! claiming the top spot in the ranking. Three action films from iQIYI's recently launched "Action Master: season, Blocking the Horse, Eye for an Eye 2 and Hunt the Wicked, collectively achieved a box office revenue of over 17 million yuan (approximately $2.4 million) on iQIYI Cloud Cinema, where the company bagged more than 2.08 million ticket sales during the seven-day holiday.
Additionally, iQIYI's cutting-edge technologies, including AI search, provided viewers with a seamless and immersive experience, enabling effortless access to popular scenes and delivering intelligent personalized recommendations for film choices. The data show a remarkable 470% increase in AI search usage during the seven-day holiday.
Beyond its digital offerings, the platform also expanded into offline initiatives in tourist-favored cities over the holiday. Prior to the holiday festivities, iQIYI launched its VR project Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2: To the West in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, offering visitors a mesmerizing fusion of traditional and contemporary elements, thus drawing crowds of eager audiences. This surge in cultural tourism activities has concurrently boosted the viewing time of original drama series, resulting in an 11.2% increase. A similar trend has been observed with the surge in popularity of the northeastern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, and the rise of Northeast-themed films, such as Fight Against Evil.
