On May 11, Hujing Digital Media & Entertainment Group, Alibaba’s culture and entertainment business, unveiled a new content slate with more than 200 projects across drama series, variety shows, “pan-entertainment,” film, and live entertainment. Judging from the slate structure, suspense content has expanded to 25 titles, accounting for 25% of its drama series slate, while more than ten IP projects from Jinjiang Literature City have been confirmed for film and TV adaptations, with a focus on female-oriented content.
A key signal is Hujing’s growing bet on serialized IP. This spring launch includes 17 IP sequels, including drama sequels Legend of Zang Hai 2, The Immortal Ascension 2, and a sequel tied to Unveil: Jadewind, as well as the suspense drama Regeneration 2. The Blood of Youth 2 and Blood River 2 have also been confirmed for return.
At a time when short-form content is gaining prominence, Hujing’s insistence on content serialization is a contrarian choice. The trade-off is a stickier user base. In 2025, daily usage time for the Youku app reached 60 minutes, a record high. Commercial value also increased: last year, Legend of Zang Hai topped Enlightent’s annual ranking of drama series by views and Youku’s drama series ranking by brand sponsorship count.
