Space

Currently, after shedding the excesses of previous bubbles, long-form video content has entered a phase of steady, high-quality growth. As the most crucial sector of long-form video, series have become the primary battleground for platforms. However, competition in this space has evolved to be more positive. Rather than resorting to cutthroat tactics, platforms are solidifying their unique advantages based on historical experience, cultivating differentiation that cannot easily be replicated by competitors. They are reinforcing their distinctive brands to build a content moat. A retrospective view of the 2023 series market and a preview of 2024 through platform content lists reveals this underlying logic clearly.   Reflecting on 2023 Series In 2023, effective cumulative plays for series surpassed 300 billion across the entire network. Despite challenging external conditions, the market achieved remarkable breakthroughs. Two main pillars supported this performance. Major flagship dramas on each platform exhibited outstanding market performance, primarily in conventional mainstream genres. Examples include "The Knockout", and "Who Is He", which are suspense series that enjoy broad audience appeal. Their concurrent premieres on both online and traditional TV platforms achieved high online popularity and television viewership. Ancient romances drama like "Till the End of the Moon", "Lost You Forever",…

As an important genre of drama, Chinese historical drama emerged in the 1980s and were one of the first Chinese dramas to mature and perform best in the market. China's long and storied history provides a large pool of material for such works, and the creative approach, which is far removed from the sensitive areas of reality, also gives it a wider and freer narrative space. "Nirvana In Fire", "The Qin Empire 1", and "Judge of the Song Dynasty" are three classic Chinese historical dramas that have been the subject of much debate among Internet users. All of them have been recognized by viewers in the TV era and have earned high scores on Douban (China's most popular movie & drama rating platform), which is mainly for young users. In recent years, traditional historical dramas have become increasingly rare, with a marked increase in idolized historical dramas driven by film and television platforms. The industry is placing more and more emphasis on costumes, makeup and props, which is what the market demands and there is no excuse, but classic works should not just be forgotten. A good costume historical drama can recreate the spiritual world of the ancients. The history…