China’s premier streaming platform iQIYI has released its unaudited financial performance for Q1 2025, demonstrating robust expansion across its entertainment ecosystem.
Maintaining leadership in traditional content formats, iQIYI secured the #1 position in both drama viewership (powered by successes like Drifting Away and Moonlight Mystique) and movie viewership for an impressive 13 consecutive quarters per Enlightent metrics. The platform’s variety programming, including the new season of agricultural reality show Become a Farmer, successfully penetrated older demographics and lower-tier city markets. Notably, content-integrated advertising accounted for more than half of brand advertising income.
The company’s strategic focus on micro-dramas yielded significant results, ranking second in daily watch time while leading in unique daily users through its optimized iQIYI Lite application – soon to be rebranded as iQIYI Micro Dramas. With an extensive library exceeding 15,000 micro-drama titles, the platform is allocating additional resources to develop original short-form productions.
Subscription revenue grew 7% quarter-over-quarter, fueled by compelling content offerings and refined membership packages. The ad-supported basic tier achieved unprecedented adoption rates, while premium family plans (S-Diamond) demonstrated particularly strong momentum. Enhanced membership benefits, including innovative gifting options and bundled subscriptions, further increased customer retention and engagement.
International operations witnessed over 30% revenue growth as global appetite for Chinese dramas reached new heights. Google search interest in C-dramas peaked at a five-year high, with iQIYI originals representing 40% of the top 10 most-viewed Chinese series overseas. Successful localized content like Thai production Gelboy and the international adaptation of Become a Farmer contributed to a 40% year-over-year surge in overseas advertising revenue.
Technological innovation remained central to iQIYI’s strategy, with AI implementations like the iJump smart navigation system and Taodou virtual assistant significantly enhancing platform usability. The company’s AI-driven advertising solutions improved marketing ROI by more than 20% through precision targeting.
Beyond digital streaming, iQIYI is diversifying into physical entertainment with the upcoming Yangzhou iQIYI LAND theme park and another development underway in Kaifeng. The company has also initiated content-commerce integration trials and introduced specialized interface modes – Senior Mode following the previously launched Kid Mode – to better serve specific audience segments.
