iQIYI International’s global viewership grew 130% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, the streaming platform said in a report, crediting its dual-engine strategy of combining premium Chinese dramas with fast-paced microdramas.
The 10 titles on iQIYI International’s Top Chinese Dramas chart during this period were all produced in-house and ranged from historical epics to contemporary romances and coming-of-age stories. “The Jade Chase” ranks No. 1 across all content categories on the platform and has been the top Google search volume among Chinese historical dramas worldwide since 2025, a ranking the company attributes to the show’s female coming-of-age story and Eastern aesthetic. Two other dramas in iQIYI International’s 2025 annual top 10, “Fated Hearts” and “Speed and Love,” re-entered the charts for the first half of 2026, along with “The Best Thing.”
According to iQIYI, microdramas are increasingly serving as an entry point for overseas viewers to discover Chinese content with emotional intensity and fast-pacing that suits their mobile-first viewing habits. “Midnight Temptation” was ranked as the world’s top microdrama, built around themes of personal growth and the promotion of women for equal status. Stories centered around class reversal, female empowerment, and modern romance made up the rest of the top 10 on the microdrama chart.
Localization has supported growth, with subtitles available in 13 languages in addition to dubbing, and a fan engagement initiative the company calls the iQIYI Starship Project, which sends actors from hit films to perform live events in markets such as Thailand and Malaysia. Thanks to Thai dubbing, seven Chinese dramas this season ranked in the top 10 in Thailand.
According to the report, regional preferences vary by market. Viewers in Southeast Asia showed strong demand for premium Chinese dramas and localized content, while microdramas now account for half of the top 10 trending titles in Japan and South Korea. Expanded Spanish and Portuguese dubbing expanded the platform’s reach in Latin America, and Middle Eastern viewers continued to prefer premium dramas with realism and military themes.
iQIYI International launched its Global Trending Content Initiative in January to track viewing patterns across its international footprint. The company said it remains focused on building a lineup of Asian dramas, animations, movies and variety shows for audiences around the world.
