iQIYI anime distribution and licensing strategy, explained
iQIYI's anime strategy mixes licensed Japanese content, original Chinese animation, and distribution experiments with partners such as Netflix and Douyin.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: iQIYI is one of China's largest online entertainment services and uses anime and animation as part of a broader content strategy. Its platform streams Japanese anime and Chinese animation (donghua) through both its domestic service and its international site iq.com. iQIYI has also used content licensing as a distribution tool, including a 2017 deal to carry Netflix programming in China and a 2022 agreement to license select content to ByteDance's Douyin for short-form video distribution.
How iQIYI fits into Chinese animation streaming
iQIYI operates a subscription video service backed by Baidu. At the time of its 2017 Netflix deal, TechCrunch reported that iQIYI claimed 481 million users and 5.579 billion hours of time spent on its service each month, while The Hollywood Reporter described it as a top video portal in China with nearly 500 million monthly viewers.
The platform's anime page offers Japanese anime, Chinese anime, and cartoons with multiple subtitles and dubbing options. This positions iQIYI as a generalist streamer that treats anime as one vertical among dramas, films, and variety shows, rather than as a specialized anime service.
Licensed content and inbound partnerships
iQIYI's highest-profile inbound licensing deal was the 2017 agreement with Netflix. After abandoning a direct launch in China, Netflix licensed some of its programming to iQIYI for distribution on Chinese soil. The exact titles were not disclosed, but the deal gave Netflix a presence in a market where it could not operate its own service.
For rights holders, the deal illustrated that iQIYI could serve as a distribution partner for foreign content that faces regulatory barriers to direct entry in China. The arrangement was framed as a licensing partnership rather than a co-production or equity tie-up.
Short-form licensing and outbound distribution
In 2022, iQIYI announced a content licensing cooperation with Douyin, ByteDance's short video platform. Under the agreement, iQIYI licensed select content to Douyin for editing and distribution as short-form videos. The companies said they would also cooperate in other operational areas.
The Douyin deal showed iQIYI treating its long-form catalog as a source of clips and derivative content that could be monetized on short-form platforms. This is a different kind of licensing from territorial streaming rights: it is format slicing for social video, aimed at extending the life and reach of existing IP.
Original Chinese animation and international expansion
iQIYI also produces and distributes Chinese animation. Industry coverage has highlighted iQIYI unveiling large lineups of donghua titles at its annual conferences, including adaptations of novels and original properties. The international-facing iq.com site streams these titles alongside licensed Japanese anime.
This gives iQIYI a two-sided animation business: it licenses foreign content for Chinese users while distributing Chinese-produced animation to international users. The international site is smaller than the domestic service, but it provides a legal window for iQIYI's original animation outside mainland China.
What iQIYI's disclosures do not show
iQIYI does not break out anime-specific revenue, subscriber numbers for its anime vertical, or per-title licensing fees. The 481 million user and 5.579 billion hour figures date from 2017 and describe the whole platform, not anime specifically.
Public evidence confirms iQIYI's licensing partnerships with Netflix and Douyin and its distribution of Japanese and Chinese animation, but the relative scale of each vertical is not disclosed. Rights holders should treat iQIYI as a large, generalist Chinese platform with anime as one of several content verticals.
Frequently asked questions
Does iQIYI stream Japanese anime?
Yes. iQIYI's platform streams Japanese anime, Chinese anime, and cartoons, including through its international-facing iq.com site.
What major licensing deals has iQIYI signed?
iQIYI signed a 2017 deal to license Netflix programming for distribution in China, and a 2022 deal to license select content to Douyin for short-form video distribution.
Does iQIYI produce its own animation?
Yes. iQIYI has invested in Chinese animation (donghua) and has unveiled lineups of original and adapted titles at its annual conferences.
Is iQIYI available outside China?
iQIYI operates iq.com internationally, offering Asian dramas, movies, and anime with subtitles and dubbing in multiple languages.