iQIYI International records strong global growth in H1

iQIYI International, the overseas streaming platform of Chinese online entertainment company iQIYI, reported a 130 percent year-on-year increase in total viewership in the first half of 2026, driven by strong demand for Chinese dramas and micro dramas.

The platform released its Global Trending Content rankings on July 9, showing that premium long-form dramas and micro dramas drove overseas growth. Localization efforts, including subtitles in 13 languages, dubbing and fan engagement activities, also helped expand its international reach.

According to the rankings, Southeast Asia remained a major market for Chinese dramas, while micro dramas gained popularity in East Asia. Premium long-form dramas also remained popular in the Middle East and Latin America.

Historical drama Pursuit of Jade topped the platform's overall rankings in the first half of the year, while Midnight Temptation led the global micro drama chart. All 10 titles on the top Chinese drama list were iQIYI original productions.

Beyond Chinese dramas, animation, films and variety shows from across Asia also attracted overseas audiences.

The company said it expanded localization through multilingual subtitles, dubbing and its "iQIYI Starship Project", which hosts fan events in overseas markets. In Thailand, seven Chinese dramas with Thai-language dubbing entered the local top 10 during the first half of the year.

Micro dramas accounted for half of the top 10 trending titles in Japan and South Korea, while Spanish- and Portuguese-language dubbing helped broaden audiences in Latin America. Viewers in the Middle East continued to favor realistic and military-themed dramas.

iQIYI said it will continue expanding its content offerings and localization efforts to reach broader global audiences.