Ever wondered what happens when your favorite shows jump off the screen and into real life? iQIYI is making it happen! They’re not just streaming hits, they’re building theme parks and creating must-have IP products. Get ready to dive deeper into the worlds you love – how do you think this will change entertainment?

iQIYI, China’s leading online entertainment platform, is revolutionizing its business model by expanding significantly beyond traditional screen-based content, demonstrating remarkable growth in its Experience Business during Q2 2025. This strategic pivot highlights the company’s successful efforts to convert its popular original shows and cherished characters into tangible offline attractions and lucrative consumer IP products, marking a new era in digital media growth.

This innovative strategy enables iQIYI to leverage its extensive library of authorized intellectual properties, sourced from dozens of in-house content studios and external partners. By skillfully utilizing show elements such as iconic characters and compelling storylines, iQIYI creates a diverse array of consumer experiences, including highly collectible trading cards, extensive merchandise collaborations, immersive theatrical experiences, and groundbreaking theme parks like “iQIYI Land.”

A critical component of this expansion involves cutting-edge technology. iQIYI employs proprietary Digital Rights Management (DRM) to protect its valuable content assets while simultaneously utilizing advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) to craft more engaging and interactive experiences for its devoted fan base. This technological integration ensures both security and enhanced user engagement within the broader entertainment business ecosystem.

iQIYI is strategically positioned to capitalize on the rapidly expanding IP derivatives market, which is projected to achieve substantial growth this year, reflecting a significant increase from 2020. This upward trend is primarily fueled by robust consumer demand for products and immersive experiences that allow fans to delve deeper into the narrative worlds and connect with the characters they adore from their favorite on-screen productions.

As a prominent content creator and a major IP holder, iQIYI is exceptionally well-equipped to meet and capture this burgeoning demand. The company now meticulously manages the entire product lifecycle in-house, from the initial conceptualization and planning phases all the way through to direct sales, ensuring a seamless and controlled development process for its content monetization efforts.

The company’s self-operated collectible trading cards have already proven to be a resounding success, generating over $2.1 million in gross merchandise value (GMV) in the first half of 2025. These cards feature beloved shows such as “Love in Pavilion” and “Feud,” and iQIYI is actively expanding into new product categories while simultaneously developing its proprietary sales channels to further enhance its market reach.

Beyond trading cards, merchandise tied to hit series like “Mysterious Lotus Casebook”—encompassing a wide range of lifestyle products from phone cases to intricate model toys—has also achieved significant commercial success. Collaborations to date have driven a total GMV exceeding RMB200 million, a testament to both direct merchandise sales and successful co-branded product ventures. The company plans to further broaden its product offerings to include items related to films, Japanese animation, and children’s content, solidifying its Entertainment Business.

Offline attractions represent another cornerstone of iQIYI’s multifaceted strategy. The company currently operates over 50 immersive theaters strategically located in approximately 30 cities across China. Furthermore, it is actively developing ambitious “iQIYI Land” Theme Parks, with initial locations under construction in Yangzhou and Kaifeng, and additional sites slated for announcement later this year. These parks are designed to feature IP-based attractions, interactive experiences, and exclusive merchandise, offering a physical destination for fans to engage with their favorite universes.

By seamlessly bridging the divide between on-screen narratives and tangible, real-world products and experiences, iQIYI aims to cultivate robust new revenue streams and forge deeper, more enduring connections with its audience, thereby redefining the landscape of modern entertainment and IP derivatives.