Taking on Netflix and Disney, China’s iQIYI plans Southeast Asian talent agency, as part of push in fast growing region
- The video platform is looking to discover local talent to train up and feature in its productions
- Southeast Asia is seen as the fastest growing market, with Netflix and Disney+ launching in the region
Chinese online video platform iQIYI plans to launch a talent agency in Southeast Asia to cultivate its own entertainers as it pushes to become Asia’s dominant streaming platform, according to a senior executive.
The company, the parent of which is search engine giant Baidu, announced this week that it is partnering with Singapore entertainment group G.H.Y Culture & Media to start a talent management agency to identify and train talent in the region and showcase them in its productions.
The move, which comes three months after the streaming platform installed its international headquarters in Singapore, is meant to launch young stars who would be popular with Chinese and Southeast Asian audiences, said Yang Xianghua, president of membership and overseas business.
“We’re already growing fast, with Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore as our highest growing markets,” he said. “We saw 12 times the user growth for the region in 2020.”
Simultaneously, Yang said that iQIYI’s Southeast Asian productions are seeing strong viewership numbers in China.
“Our goal is to be an Asian content platform,” he said, adding there were plans for more original Southeast Asian TV shows and movies, with teams in South Korea and Japan working on developing original dramas and anime respectively. A show on the agency’s search for Southeast Asian talent will also be aired.