IQIYI International App Adds K-Content Thus Promoting Global Appeal

IQIYI International App Adds K-Content Thus Promoting Global Appeal

Ji Chang-wook and Kim Yoo-jung star in 'Backstreet Rookie.'





iQIYI





When popular Korean actor Ji Chang-wook chose his first drama role in two years, his fans were excited. What many international fans did not expect was the streaming platform on which that drama might air. The actor's return to the small screen, playing a convenience store owner in the k-drama Backstreet Rookie, aired on the iQIYI International app. 



The Korean Creative Content Agency estimates that there are 18 million Korean content viewers in the U.S. alone and they usually watch licensed and original productions via such streaming platforms as Netflix



NFLX

, Rakuten Viki, Kocowa and OnDemandKorea. Yet the SBS drama aired on a platform that was new for many U.S. fans.



iQIYI, the online video streaming platform, based in Beijing, was launched in 2010, but the globally available iQIYI International app, on which Backstreet Rookie aired, was launched in late 2019. 





The original iQIYI app only provides streaming services for China's mainland, while the iQIYI International app streams content globally in local languages including English, Thai, Malay, Vietnamese, and Indonesian. Headquartered in Singapore, iQIYI International hopes to expand their global footprint