In a significant achievement for iQiyi's revenue-sharing drama series, the realistic theme work "The Old Uncle" has seen its revenue share surge past 70 million yuan. This milestone sets two new industry records: the highest revenue-sharing amount for any online co-broadcast drama and the top performance for any revenue-sharing series across platforms in 2024. Since its release, the series has not only delivered impressive commercial results but also achieved both popularity and critical acclaim. Its content heat index quickly exceeded 8000, and it earned a 7.6 rating on Douban, becoming a widely discussed revenue-sharing phenomenon among industry insiders and viewers.
The success of "The Old Uncle" is attributed to the production team's solid content creation skills. The series features well-developed characters and a tightly woven narrative, showcasing a unique creative quality. The protagonist, Cui Guoming, lacks a heroic aura but demonstrates resilience through repeated setbacks. His every struggle and persistence reflect the real-life challenges and dignity of ordinary people. Meanwhile, the aunt, Li Xiaozhen (played by Wang Jiajia), adds warmth to the family with her sharp tongue but kind heart, offering genuine protection and support to those around her. This relatable storytelling lies at the heart of its appeal.
Zhu Huilong, the executive producer and founder/CEO of Mingjian Pictures, remarked, "From the initial project discussions, iQiyi showed strong confidence in 'The Old Uncle,' leading to a quick decision to proceed with the revenue-sharing model. Throughout the process, both parties maintained mutual trust. iQiyi's high-quality promotion and collaboration significantly contributed to the series' high popularity and box office performance." This underscores iQiyi's comprehensive support for partners under its revenue-sharing framework, which played a key role in the drama's success.
Chen Xiao, Senior Vice President of iQiyi, recently shared in-depth insights on the revenue-sharing model at industry events such as the 2026 Shanghai TV Drama Production and Broadcasting Conference and the 2026 China TV Drama Production Industry Conference. He emphasized that revenue sharing will become the primary form of content collaboration for iQiyi in the future. Chen pointed out that with the advent of the AI era, the number of creators and content works will multiply, and video media platforms will transition toward decentralized social media. As content production and supply evolve, the main collaboration method between platforms and content producers will gradually shift to revenue sharing. iQiyi's model, which ties creator earnings directly to user revenue, incentivizes creators to stay close to market demands and focus on quality content, ultimately producing works that resonate with audiences.
To better support partners, iQiyi has established a flexible and diverse revenue-sharing system. The platform currently offers three cooperation methods: pure revenue sharing, platform guarantee plus revenue sharing, and pure revenue sharing with minor platform investment. These options cater to content producers at different development stages and with varying risk appetites. Additionally, iQiyi's "Share the Sweetness" plan represents an innovative breakthrough, where the platform covers production costs. If the net revenue generated within a specified period, after deducting promotional expenses, exceeds 1.2 times the approved production cost, the excess is split 50-50 between the platform and the production team. This model not only mitigates financial risks for producers but also opens unlimited profit potential, transforming the traditional buyer-seller relationship into a collaborative partnership based on shared risks and rewards.
The outstanding performance of "The Old Uncle" validates the科学性 and foresight of iQiyi's revenue-sharing model. It demonstrates that revenue-sharing dramas can not only produce hits but also maximize the commercial value of quality content through a well-designed sharing mechanism, allowing partners to earn more. Looking ahead, as iQiyi continues to advance its revenue-sharing approach, it is expected to attract more high-quality creators, expand the revenue-sharing drama market, and ultimately achieve a win-win outcome for the platform, producers, and viewers.
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