The short video war in China has reached a new ‘high’

Tencent – China’s most valuable technology company – is working to attract audiences to its short-video platform Channels on its WeChat app. Channels directly compete with Douyin – the Chinese version of TikTok and Kuaishou. In the latest business report, Tencent said that total video views and watch time on Channels both grew strongly thanks to entertainment programs and modern algorithms.

To promote Channels, Tencent has reserved a “beautiful place” for video content on WeChat – the app has 1.29 billion users – and promotes user-generated content through a recommendation algorithm. The company also organizes online music events with the participation of famous artists. For example, singer Lo Ta Yu’s show last weekend attracted 42 million unique viewers.

Data from analytics firm iiMedia Research shows that Tencent’s video service has grown rapidly in the past six months based on entertainment and music content. It helps Tencent out of the “humiliating situation” of being a latecomer to the short video market.

Channels’ growing popularity could upset the Chinese short video market, which is being dominated by Douyin of China. ByteDance leader. Douyin has more than 600 million users in the country, known for its powerful, addictive recommendation algorithm. But, Tencent’s approach to borrowing the fame of the stars takes the competition to a new level. Douyin also held a live concert for singer Stefanie Sun close to Lo Ta Yu’s and brought in more than 200 million views. However, this number does not distinguish clicks by the same user.

According to Mr. Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research, the two shows are a testament to the fierce battle between the two platforms, in which Tencent is attacking and Douyin defending. Based on current figures, WeChat has the upper hand. He calls WeChat concerts a “trump card”.

Lo’s show isn’t the first success with WeChat. Jay Chou’s two other shows a week earlier also reached 47 million and 25 million spectators, enough to fill the seats of 530 Wembley Stadium.

Tencent chose to invite famous artists of the 1990s and 2000s such as Leslie Cheung, Westlife. This is the right move and suits the tastes of WeChat users, who are older than Douyin and Kuaishou. Channels also leverages the social media giant on WeChat, allowing users to view articles and videos that WeChat contacts like.

Li Qingshan, deputy director of consumer research at investment firm EqualOcean, said that the Covid-19 epidemic disrupted live performances and was an opportunity for online events. Livestreaming on Channels became popular thanks to the appearance of superstars, easily evoking users’ nostalgia about their youth.

Even so, Douyin and Kuaishou are still “upper” when it comes to recommendation algorithms, bringing new and engaging content to users.

Lizzie Hu, a financial expert living in Shenzhen, expressed regret at not being able to follow Jay Chou’s concert on WeChat. However, she was among the millions of people who watched Westlife’s concert. Although Hu is not addicted to short videos, recently, she watches videos on WeChat more because they are shared in chat groups and on social networks. She doesn’t want to watch the video suggested by the algorithm because it feels like an endless, time-consuming journey. That’s why Hu gave up on Douyin after a while.

According to SCMP