Xigua Video (Chinese: 西瓜视频; pinyin: Xīguā Shìpín) is a Chinese online video-sharing platform owned by ByteDance.[1][2][3] Originally serving primarily as a sharing platform for Toutiao's user-created short videos, Xigua now also produces film and television content. Xigua Video continuously provides content to different audiences through personalized services.[4] As of June 2020, the platform has 131 million monthly active users.[5][6]
History
Xigua Video was initially launched as Toutiao Video in May 2016.[7]
On June 8, 2017, Toutiao Video officially changed its name to Xigua Video and redesigned its logo.[8] The name "Xigua" means "watermelon" and refers to the Chinese concept of "watermelon-eating crowd" (吃瓜群众; chīguā qúnzhòng; 'eat melon group congregation'), meaning "onlookers who just casually enjoy their melons and watch events unfold without wanting to get involved."[3]
In November 2017, the number of users exceeded 200 million.[9]
On November 25, 2017, Xigua Video established a co-production fund to encourage content creation with an amount of RMB 2 billion.[10]
In January 2018, Xigua Live went online. In the same month, Xigua Video launched the first season of online live quiz show Millionaire Heroes.[11]
In April 2018, the user volume exceeded 350 million.[4]
In September 2018, Xigua Video announced plans to develop film and television drama segments.[2]
In October 2018, a new brand visual image was launched, with the release of the "Kaleidoscope Plan" and "Windmill Plan" to encourage high-quality content creation.[12]
In August 2019, the third "Xigua PLAY" video carnival was held on a cruise ship, marking the beginning of the "era of great navigation" for video creators.[13]
In December 2019, "Top Hero" (头号英雄), a nationwide interactive knowledge live answering activity, was launched jointly with "Toutiao" and "Tiktok".[4][14]
On October 20, 2020, the platform announced at an annual conference that it would invest at least RMB 2 billion to incentivize creators of "middle-form" videos in the coming year.[5]
Partnerships
In April 2020, Xigua Video announced a content cooperation deal with BBC Studios to jointly produce two documentaries, Hubble: The Wonders of Space Revealed and Primates, and show other BBC Studios content on Xigua.[1] The platform also partnered with the Discovery Channel to air documentaries such as Man vs. Wild and Life After Chernobyl.[15]
In April 2020, Moonbug Entertainment, a London-based company, announced a partnership with Xigua Video, making content from the Little Baby Bum brand available on the platform in both English and Mandarin.[16]
^"西瓜视频完成品牌升级 将发力直播和自制综艺 - 21财经" [Xigua Video Completes Brand Upgrade and Will Focus on Live Broadcasting and Homemade Variety -21 Finance]. m.21jingji.com. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
^"创作人方舟领你看世界;「2019西瓜PLAY视频嘉年华」即日起正式启动" [Creator FangZhou leads you to see the world; The 2019 Xigua PLAY Video Carnival officially launched today]. ah.ifeng.com. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
^"《头号英雄》人民日报直播答题专场,114万人同时在线答题--传媒--人民网" [Top Hero "People's Daily Live Q&A Session, with 1.14 million people answering questions online at the same time - Media - People's Daily]. media.people.com.cn. Retrieved 2023-10-06.