The Lunar New Year is prime season for moviegoers in China. But the outbreak of a new coronavirus in the country resulted in the hotly anticipated family-friendly flick Lost in Russia canceling theater screenings. Instead, the film is getting an online-exclusive premiere thanks to a deal with ByteDance, which will include showings on China’s version of TikTok, Douyin. And even though ByteDance is paying 630 million yuan (US$91 million) for the streaming rights, the film will be available for free for a limited time starting January 25th.

In an effort to prevent the further spread of the virus, some online platforms have refunded movie tickets and theaters have cancelled new releases, dealing a heavy blow to local theaters and movie production houses. But it could turn out to be a good deal for ByteDance, which is seeking to pivot away from just offering short videos to offering live streaming and longer video formats.