What’s new: China’s short-video app users rose 8.3% in 2022 to 1.012 billion, a figure that makes up nearly 95% of all people with online access in the country, according to a report released Wednesday.
The total also accounts for more than 70% of the country’s population at the end of 2022.
Users spent on average 168 minutes — or more than 2.5 hours — on the service last year, according to the report, which was released at a convention co-hosted by the National Radio and Television Administration and the Sichuan provincial government.
Around 68% of users cited entertainment and leisure as the major reason they logged into short-video platforms, while about 32% used them as a source of news, according to the report.
The background: The rapid development of internet platform companies has propelled the adoption of short-video services in China. But the industry is highly dominated by two companies — ByteDance Ltd., owner of TikTok’s Chinese twin Douyin, and Kuaishou Technology Co. Ltd, according to the report. Together, they take up just over 90% of a market that’s worth 292.8 billion yuan.
Other companies including Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Baidu Inc. have been ramping up efforts to crack the market over the years.
The increasing popularity of short-video apps has been a concern for Chinese regulators. In particular, authorities worry that minors could get addicted to the platforms. A series of measures will be rolled out this year to address addiction issues as part of a broader campaign by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), Niu Yibing, a CAC official, said in a news briefing Tuesday.
Contact editor Bertrand Teo (bertrandteo@caixin.com)
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