Douyin's Strategic Shift in Long-Form Content Challenges Bilibili's Dominance

In late August, a shake-up hit the creators on Xigua Video as ByteDance phased out its "Medium Video Partner Program" after three years, replacing it with Douyin's "Creator Partner Program." This shift unified earnings distribution under Douyin, leading to a reported drop in creator revenue.

The program's inception in 2020 aimed to rival Bilibili by attracting mid-tier creators with revenue shares. By 2021, Xigua was integrated into Douyin's ecosystem, marking a decline in its prominence. Despite initial plans to merge Xigua into Douyin, ByteDance later clarified its commitment to Xigua.

Douyin's ecosystem now hosts long-form content beyond Xigua, evident with the launch of Qingtao (later renamed Douyin Select) and the inclusion of long-form channels within the main app. Notably, Douyin has seen success with ultra-long videos, such as a 7.5-hour video by @Mi Sanhan, positioning itself against Bilibili.

Douyin's strategy focuses on creating content benchmarks to attract more creators and users. While Xigua's role diminishes, Douyin remains committed to long-form content, leveraging its strengths in advertising to support this shift.

The battle for mid-tier creators between Douyin and Bilibili continues, with Douyin's recent initiatives drawing Bilibili's top creators to its platform. This move poses a significant challenge to Bilibili's user growth and content ecosystem.

In summary, Douyin's consolidation of long-form content under its brand signifies a strategic shift, leveraging its advertising prowess to support a new era of long-form video content, directly challenging Bilibili's dominance in this space.