ByteDance to close three ‘mini drama’ video channels amid competition, regulatory scrutiny
- Short series were once regarded as a new way to generate advertising revenues, but they quickly invited regulatory scrutiny over their content
ByteDance, the owner of short video apps TikTok and Douyin, has decided to close three domestic channels that provide popular “mini dramas” amid growing competition and regulatory pressure, in the latest example of restructuring by China’s most valuable unicorn.
Two channels, Paopaoxinxuan and Guodongxinxuan, which have been accessible on the Douyin platform for about a year, will cease operations after Monday due to “business adjustments”, according to official posts seen when opening the channels. A third channel, Zhuazhuaxinxuan, was offline by Friday.
All three specialised in so-called online short series, with each episode typically a few minutes long. Some of the offerings were interactive, similar to Netflix’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Love Is All Around on Steam and Epic Games, where the audience can choose the storyline for the protagonist in the show. The channels charged 199 yuan (US$27) for monthly subscription to access certain content. Refunds for users who had already paid in advance were promised, according to the posts.
Short series were once regarded as a new form of online entertainment to generate traffic and boost advertising revenues, but they quickly invited regulatory scrutiny over their content. Starting this month, all mini dramas in China must go through a production licensing and content review before they can be broadcast on platforms.
As a result of the scrutiny, Douyin issued a statement in April saying it had taken down six mini dramas.