ByteDance in talks to sell overseas news app Topbuzz, which has not proven as popular as TikTok, report says
- Topbuzz aggregates news content and tailors it for users, just like ByteDance’s domestic news aggregator Toutiao
China’s ByteDance, famous for its short video hit app TikTok, is in talks with potential buyers to sell its Toutiao-like overseas newsfeed app Topbuzz, including with some US-based media companies, technology title The Information reported this week.
The app, which is similar to the domestic news aggregating app Toutiao which uses algorithms to tailor news for users, has not proven as popular with overseas customers as TikToK, which ranks first on the US iOS app store in the entertainment category followed by Netflix, according to The Information report.
A spokeswoman for ByteDance declined to comment on the matter.
It remains unclear whether the sale talks, which have been going on for at least three months, will result in a deal, according to The Information. A search of the US app store shows that Topbuzz currently ranks 39th in the news category, with Twitter and US local news aggregator Newsbreak ranking first and the second.
ByteDance has been expanding overseas and has received plaudits for being the first Chinese internet company to achieve major success in global markets with a social media app, although it has had to deal with a variety of regulatory hurdles.