iQIYI 2025 World Conference: Shaping the future of online entertainment through integrated “long + short” storytelling and enhanced IP monetization

400+ titles and five mini-drama initiatives to advance its “long + short” strategy
Strengthens IP monetization with the content-driven e-commerce platform
AI-powered tools to elevate viewing experience and boost production efficiency

BEIJING, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On Apr. 23, iQIYI, China’s leading online entertainment platform, unveiled over 400 new titles and a series of strategic initiatives at its 2025 iQIYI World Conference in Beijing. The announcements highlight the company’s continued commitment to an integrated “long + short” form content strategy, diverse IP monetization, and technological innovation, defining the next phase of the online entertainment industry.

“2025 is a turning point for the industry,” said Yu GONG, Founder and CEO of iQIYI. “As user attention spans shrink and content creation accelerates, we are adapting by prioritizing high-quality storytelling, expanding mini-drama formats as a new growth engine beyond traditional long-form. Our focus remains audience-centric, delivering premium content that balances commercial success with artistic value.”

Advancing “long + short“ content slate at scale

iQIYI is entering a two-year transformation to scale both long- and short-form content. The newly announced slate for 2025-2026 includes over 400 titles spanning drama series, mini- and short-dramas, variety shows, films, documentaries, animation, and sports.

Xiaohui WANG, Chief Content Officer of iQIYI, highlighted that 2025 marks the official start of the “long + short” content transformation cycle — aimed at combining scale with storytelling quality while meeting evolving viewer demands and consumption habits.

The platform’s long-form strategy will be anchored by five signature drama brands — “Laugh On,” “Light On,” “Love On,” “Masterpiece,” and “Microcosm” Theaters — each dedicated to serialized dramas spanning comedy, crime, romance, literary adaptations, and cinematic experimentation with fewer episodes. At the conference, iQIYI also unveiled the upcoming adaptations of acclaimed crime novelist Zi Jinchen’s latest trilogy, set to join the future lineup of “Light On Theater” alongside ongoing and forthcoming titles such as “A Life For A Life,” “Low IQ Crime,” and “Dead End.”

In film, iQIYI launched plans to boost its self-produced slate and construct a holistic framework supporting filmmakers from emerging talent incubation to commercial blockbusters — reinforcing its competitiveness in the film market.

On the short-form front, iQIYI is doubling down on its premium mini-drama (1-5 minutes/episode) strategy with five dedicated initiatives, including the “Thousand Mini-Dramas Initiative” and “Hundred Hong Kong Mini-Dramas Initiative” programs. These efforts aim to enrich genre diversity and elevate the artistic standards of the format. For short-dramas (5-20 minutes/episode), the company is rolling out a flagship “Major Short-Drama Initiative” to scale both volume and quality.

In the mini-variety space, iQIYI is developing lightweight, theme-based content across multiple verticals — from IP derivatives, innovative formats, niche audiences, and social hot topics — designed to meet increasingly fragmented user consumption patterns.

To amplify the commercial impact of its content, iQIYI upgraded its marketing model, aiming to provide marketing solutions across content types while unlocking new brand partnership opportunities.

Scaling IP monetization with e-commerce and theme parks

Alongside content expansion, iQIYI is advancing its IP monetization strategy across both digital and physical channels. It has launched the trial operation of its content-driven e-commerce platform, integrating its rich IP portfolio, livestreaming, and short-form videos. Tightly integrated with programming and supported by celebrity participation, the new e-commerce feature allows users to engage with content while purchasing products in real time. The platform targets iQIYI’s paid subscribers as core users, aiming to establish a strong commercial foundation in 2025 and drive accelerated growth in 2026.

This follows the recent announcement of the two flagship iQIYI LAND theme parks in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province and Kaifeng, Henan province, highlighting efforts to extend premium IPs into immersive offline experiences through an agile and technology-driven model.

Empowering diverse viewing and scalable creation with AI technologies

iQIYI is also accelerating the integration of AI to meet evolving viewer habits and improve content production efficiency.

The company introduced iJump, a feature that caters to changing viewing preferences, enabling users to jump between scenes. “iJump gives control back to the viewer,” said Wenfeng LIU, President of Infrastructure and Intelligent Content Distribution Business Group (IIG) at iQIYI.

“By analyzing user habits and attention patterns, our AI learns to surface the most engaging story beats — whether that means a full-length episode, a 35-minute edit, or a 20-minute fast cut. This shift — from producer-driven delivery to user-driven selection — reshapes how we design content and products.”

iQIYI also featured Taodou, its intelligent assistant, providing personalized recommendations and intuitive content access through voice and text commands. Meanwhile, Taodou World, powered by large AI models, allows real-time conversations with nearly 1,000 virtual characters from iQIYI titles — extending IP influence and deepening audience immersion.

On the production side, iQIYI’s Screenplay Workshop leverages AI to support creators with tools for plot evaluation, character development, and narrative refinement. The upgraded QClip production suite further improves efficiency with cloud-based asset management and wireless on-set monitoring.

Together, these technologies streamline workflows, enhance creative output, enable immersive viewing experiences, and reinforce iQIYI’s leadership in intelligent content production.

Yu GONG, Founder and CEO of iQIYI