TikTok is a music video and social media platform developed by ByteDance for markets outside of China. Previously, ByteDance launched Douyin specifically for users in mainland China in September 2016.
TikTok and Douyin are known for their short videos featuring teenagers lip-syncing or performing humorous acts.
Currently, ByteDance allows users in China to watch dozens of films on the Douyin app. This includes many internationally famous titles such as The Last Emperor (winner of 9 awards at the 60th Academy Awards), The King’s Avatar (winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival), and The Great Wall (directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Matt Damon).
The reason behind this move may stem from the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in China. When cinemas were forced to close at the end of January, the film producer of Lost in Russia (directed by Xu Zheng) executed an unusual strategy: bypassing the theatrical release despite the film being highly anticipated. Instead, the film was released on Douyin and other ByteDance platforms after HuanXi Media paid at least 630 million RMB (over 2.09 trillion VND) for continuous broadcasting during the Lunar New Year. This deal also included several other films and TV shows.
China has had a difficult time getting theaters back up and running, even after announcing the return of blockbuster films like Avatar and the Marvel Avengers series to cinemas. This re-release is believed to support box office revenue when theaters reopen following a decline in COVID-19 cases. However, just one week after reopening, a new case prompted the government to close theaters once again last week.
This may have made the decision to stream online by some film companies easier to approve. Another film, The Winner, also premiered on ByteDance platforms, including Douyin, Watermelon Video, and the Jinri Toutiao news aggregation app starting this month.
Even television programs are taking similar steps; ByteDance has a deal to stream a talk show called Comedy Weekend Online.
Unlike the international version TikTok, Douyin diversifies its content by providing more short and humorous videos. Recently, Douyin introduced live streaming, which many users have taken advantage of while staying at home to avoid COVID-19. Thousands have used Douyin to watch DJ performances in what is now called “cloud clubbing.”
Additionally, users in China can start watching musical series, talk shows, or concerts on Douyin.
And the good news for users is that all this content is currently free. This also means that ByteDance is trying to grow its audience to establish the platform as China’s Netflix, Alibaba’s iQiyi, Baidu’s Youku, or Tencent Video.
Source: South China Morning Post