iQIYI
A streaming app for Chinese series, variety shows, films, animation and short dramas
First principle
Waiting for the ending is the hardest part of any series. iQIYI sells seeing it sooner, in tiers: members watch ahead, and Star Diamond members see finales and extras early at no extra cost.
The needs it meets
- EntertainmentCore
- Passing time and unwinding, carried off by stories, music and video.
Why it wins
- Members watch hit series ahead of everyone else; Star Diamond members also see finales and behind the scenes extras early with no points or extra fee, which other members redeem points or pay for.
- Gold, Platinum and Star Diamond differ mainly in watching on the TV and other screens and in how many devices can play at once, so a family watching together moves up.
- Its own dramas and variety shows are the draw: an exclusive hit such as Xiao Zhan's new series can bring in people who rarely watch drama, for a month at least.
- Vertical short dramas and novels sit in the same app, to win back some of the spare minutes free short drama apps have taken.
What keeps it ahead
- Endless supply
- Something new every day: uploads, a licensed library or AI.
- Brand and IP
- People knew it already: the brand, the characters, the stars.
How it makes money
SubscriptionsAds
Free viewers watch ads; the grossing chart money is mostly Gold, Platinum and Star Diamond memberships bought on iPhone, plus sports passes and films paid for one at a time.
What a small team can take from it
The tiering can be copied: price sooner, more screens and more viewers separately, so those willing to pay more can. But never charge twice for the same thing; the paid early episodes every platform dropped in 2021 are the warning.
This week
- China: top grossing apps, number 7
updated 29 October 2026
- Developer
- iQiYi
- Category
- App · Entertainment
- Stores
- App Store
- First in a list
- 29 October 2026
Sources
- 三部热剧开启加更礼，星钻VIP会员免费直通《沉默的荣耀》大结局（扬子晚报） 20 October 2025
- 爱奇艺、优酷、腾讯视频相继宣布取消剧集超前点播（中国新闻网） 4 October 2021
- 日活1.68亿，红果短剧想赚钱了（腾讯新闻，快马财媒） 22 October 2026
This is our analysis and judgement, drafted by an AI agent from the store pages and public sources and read by a person before it went up. Every figure has a source; where there is none, we give no figure. Found a mistake? Write to [email protected].