Bilibili anime co-production strategy: from Chinese platform to global partner
Bilibili built its anime business on licensed catalog and fan community. Its co-production push now reaches European partners and international IP.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: Bilibili's anime co-production strategy uses a 'two-layer partnership model' in which Bilibili and regional partners jointly finance high-potential international IPs. The platform is the largest licensed anime service in China, with more than 3,000 acquired titles, and has participated in more than 80 production committees producing over 300 titles since 2017. Its international reach includes a 2026 co-production partnership with France's ADN on titles such as Hero Killer and The First Frost.
What Bilibili's anime business looks like today
Bilibili began as an anime fan community and has grown into a full-cycle content and fandom system. According to a June 2026 presentation at the Annecy Animation Festival, it is now the largest platform for licensed anime in China, with more than 3,000 acquired titles and over 376 million monthly average users.
The platform is available in China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia. Bilibili reports that users spend an average of 119 minutes per day on screen. That user base gives it leverage when negotiating co-productions and international rights deals.
How the co-production model works
Bilibili's international co-production strategy was highlighted in its June 2026 partnership with France's Animation Digital Network. The two platforms announced a 'two-layer partnership model' intended to jointly source high-potential international IPs, with core financing provided by Bilibili and ADN alongside regional partners.
The first announced titles under this model are Hero Killer, an adaptation of a South Korean Webtoon produced with Passion Paris, and the romance series The First Frost. Bilibili producer Max Wang stated that the company does not have 'boundaries about the nationality of the IP,' signaling that its co-production ambitions extend beyond Chinese source material.
Catalog versus co-production: Bilibili's public messaging distinguishes between its large licensed catalog, which is the core of its streaming business in China, and its smaller but growing slate of co-produced and original titles. The co-production strategy is additive, not a replacement for licensed content.
Domestic production scale and partnerships
Since 2017, Bilibili has taken part in more than 80 production committees and produced more than 300 titles, or roughly 50 to 60 annually, according to the Annecy presentation. Most of those productions target young audiences.
The company has also built partnerships with major rights holders and platforms including Disney, Kadokawa, and Aniplex. Its in-house initiatives include the Bilibili Universe Award IP incubation program and the Capsules anthology series, which has commissioned more than 45 original short films between 2022 and 2026.
Territorial limits and what Bilibili is not
Bilibili's anime streaming service is not globally available. Public availability is limited to China and select Southeast Asian markets. This means its co-production strategy is as much about securing content it can distribute domestically and regionally as it is about building a global production brand.
The platform's history also includes content and regulatory challenges in China. Bilibili operates moderation and compliance teams, and it requires users to complete a web citizenship test before they can post comments. These constraints shape how aggressively it can pursue certain international co-productions.
Why Bilibili matters for anime co-productions
Bilibili offers anime producers something that pure Western platforms often cannot: a large, young, anime-native audience in China and Southeast Asia combined with willingness to co-finance. Its two-layer partnership model with ADN shows a path in which Chinese capital supports animation produced outside China.
Whether that model scales depends on whether international partners are comfortable with Bilibili's territorial restrictions, regulatory environment, and ownership structure. For now, it is one of the few Chinese platforms actively co-producing anime with European partners.
Bilibili anime and co-production figures from its June 2026 Annecy panel.| Element | What Bilibili says |
|---|
| Licensed anime titles in China | 3,000+ |
| Production committees joined since 2017 | 80+ |
| Titles produced since 2017 | 300+ |
| Monthly average users | 376 million |
| Average daily screen time | 119 minutes |
| Announced international co-production partner | ADN (France) |
Frequently asked questions
Does Bilibili produce its own anime?
Yes. Bilibili has participated in more than 80 production committees and produced more than 300 titles since 2017, including co-productions with partners such as France's ADN.
Is Bilibili available outside China?
Bilibili's anime streaming is available in China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia. It is not a global service.
What is Bilibili's co-production model?
Bilibili describes it as a 'two-layer partnership model' in which it and regional partners jointly source and finance high-potential international IPs.
Sources and methodology
- China's Bilibili, France's ADN Unveil New Co-Production Model, Cartoon Brew. June 26, 2026. Announces Bilibili-ADN partnership, two-layer model, Hero Killer and The First Frost, plus Bilibili user and production metrics.
- China's Bilibili Pitches Itself as Int'l Content Production Partner, Variety. November 28, 2018. Early account of Bilibili's international co-production positioning and partnerships with BBC, NHK, and Discovery.