Madou Media said on April 2 that it is permanently shutting down its operations, with its website, app, and paid member services now closed. The company, which once described itself as the world’s largest Chinese-language adult film studio, is ending its run after nearly seven years. In its statement, Madou pointed to two main pressures: a fast-changing industry and rampant piracy that eroded the economics of original production.
Shutdown notice posted across official channels
The company released a farewell letter on both its official website and social platforms. It looked back on its efforts to produce original content, while making clear that the business would not continue. Madou said it chose to leave “with dignity,” adding that the move was not a collapse but a respectful goodbye. After the announcement, its online properties shifted to shutdown notices and related services were terminated.
The statement described a long struggle to keep an original-content model alive in the Chinese-language adult video market. That model came under pressure as pirated material spread widely and revenue from paid users was squeezed. The tone of the message was restrained. The outcome was not: the platform has exited.
Business shift failed to reverse the pressure
Madou Media was originally registered in California and built its audience with Chinese dialogue and localized production settings. In 2022, its filming team in Shanghai was reportedly targeted in a police crackdown, after which the company shifted its operating focus to Taiwan. The report said Madou’s annual profit at its peak was once said to be around NT$22 million, but free content and competition from overseas platforms continued to weigh on the business.
Industry figures point to broader weaknesses
Former AV director Pu Zhiyu said the shutdown was foreseeable and listed six major problems, including weak willingness among viewers to pay, uneven performer quality, inconsistent production standards, and excessive ad placement that hurt the viewing experience. He also said actresses affected by the closure may move to overseas paid platforms such as OnlyFans.
Actress Wu Mengmeng reposted the shutdown notice on Threads and wrote that the end of Madou was “proof of the decline of the Chinese-language era,” while also expressing respect for studios still operating. With Madou Media gone, attention is returning to the commercial strain facing this segment of the market.