Tencent brings paid subscription to WeChat Channels in race against short video giants ByteDance, Kuaishou
- The paid subscriptions service will allow content creators to earn more money by charging users to view some videos, Tencent said
- WeChat will also let content creators open the comment section of their accounts to display advertisements, in exchange for a cut of the ad revenue
Tencent Holdings is planning to launch a paid subscription service for videos on its flagship app WeChat, allowing content creators to charge users for watching certain videos, as the Chinese social media giant steps up its challenge to short video apps Douyin and Kuaishou.
As part of Tencent’s bid to attract more influencers to join its platform, WeChat will let content creators set up a pay-to-watch video section on Video Accounts, the WeChat video section marketed as Channels, the company announced on Tuesday at Weixin Open Class, its annual event promoting WeChat’s new functions and strategies.
Content creators can also choose to accept advertisements in the comment section of their Channels account in exchange for a cut of the ad revenue, according to the company, allowing account holders to earn more income in addition to tips from viewers.
Tencent already started experimenting with paid live streams on Channels last year, with the National Basketball Association being the first to test out the function.
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