Hongguo Reaches 168 Million Daily Active Users, Overtaking Major Long-Form Video Platforms Combined

Hongguo, a short-drama platform, has reached 168 million daily active users as of July, according to QuestMobile, putting it ahead of the combined 155 million daily users reported for Tencent Video, iQIYI, Youku, and Mango TV. The article argues that Hongguo’s rise has been driven by three forces working at the same time: free access, ByteDance’s closed-loop content and distribution system, and a rapid expansion in AI-generated short dramas. The report says Hongguo users spend an average of 125 minutes a day on the app, while monthly viewing time on major long-form video platforms fell between 24% and 47% over the past year. It also points to a shift in audience structure, saying more than half of Hongguo’s users are over 45, with more than 40 million users above 50. The piece also highlights the downside of the boom. Even as platform traffic rises, many short-drama creators are struggling to make money. It cites claims that revenue per 10,000 views has dropped to between 5 and 10 yuan, while only 1,055 titles have crossed 100 million views, implying a hit rate of just 0.47%.