Hongguo short dramas are booming, and ByteDance's pockets are getting fuller

What happened: QuestMobile's autumn report shows Hongguo free short dramas reached 430 million de-duplicated users in September 2026, overtaking Doubao and ranking second only to Douyin. The report links the short drama boom to demand for ByteDance's video generation model Seedance. Key numbers: Hongguo 430 million de-duplicated users in September 2026; 168 million DAU in Why it matters: IDC data shows video generation contributed 32.7% of China MaaS revenue, and the content says Seedance supplies over half of Volcano Engine's MaaS revenue, making video the base of its leading position.

QuestMobile's autumn report shows Hongguo free short dramas reached 430 million de-duplicated users in September 2026, overtaking Doubao and ranking second only to Douyin. The report links the short drama boom to demand for ByteDance's video generation model Seedance.

IDC data shows video generation contributed 32.7% of China MaaS revenue, and the content says Seedance supplies over half of Volcano Engine's MaaS revenue, making video the base of its leading position.