On May 29, Douyin Group announced during an internal meeting the formation of a new centralized unit to oversee short drama copyrights. The unit will report directly to Zhang Chao.
As part of the restructuring, business development teams previously focused on short dramas hosted on Douyin and Hongguo Short Drama have been merged into this new unit. The consolidated team will manage content supply for both platforms and coordinate all collaborations with short drama creators. Going forward, all short drama-related partnerships involving Douyin Group will be routed through this centralized office, which will be responsible for content delivery and rights management.
Douyin’s short drama operations are currently divided between its native productions and Hongguo. Hongguo, which operates on an in-app advertising model, has a larger user base and allows creators to distribute content without relying on traditional channels. Titles released under its original IP program include Inside and Outside Home.
Douyin has pursued higher production value content through a long-term incentive program, including partnerships with directors such as Stephen Chow. One of his recent projects for the platform is a short-form spinoff based on his 1995 film A Chinese Odyssey.
According to a source familiar with the company’s plans, the main objective of the new unit is to improve copyright oversight and enhance the overall quality of Douyin Group’s short drama content.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Lan Jie for 36Kr.