Summary of Key Points
This article focuses on three high-rated dramas directed by "Suan" on Youku (Jaw Whale Entertainment), discussing the true value of high ratings on Douban, Youku's innovative "director-centered" model, and the contradictions this model faces in terms of commercial profitability and user competition. Despite the excellent reviews, the viewership and platform user growth have not kept pace, reflecting the challenges that long-form video platforms face from the rise of short-form content.
1. Douban Ratings: A Badge of Reputation, Not a Ticket to Success
Many people assume that high Douban ratings equate to a hit drama, but in reality, Douban scores reflect how satisfied viewers are after watching the show, not how many people have watched it. For example, "Xuan An" has a Douban score of 7.5 (the highest rating), yet Yunhe data shows that its online viewership share is only 4.7%, compared to 9.3% for iQiyi's suspense drama "Yue Ye Jiang Zhi" released around the same time.
Why? Because the people who rate Douban dramas are a small group who are either particularly fond of them or particularly disappointed (with "Xuan An" having only 2.6% one-star ratings, indicating no malicious downvoting). Those who give up watching halfway or do not rate the show at all will not contribute to its rating. Therefore, the "highest annual score" only proves that some viewers have enjoyed it, but it does not directly translate into high viewership or revenue.
2. Youku's "Director Studios": Turning Directors from Employees into Partners
In the past, platform-based drama production followed a "producer-centered" model, where producers set budgets and determined the format, with directors merely contributing to the visual design. Youku, however, has established the "San Bian Po Studio" to give directors more control from the project inception:
- Directors can access platform data in advance; for instance, knowing that viewers tend to abandon a drama after the 8th or 9th episode, they split "Xuan An" into 9 episodes and took a 11-day break, allowing viewers to catch up with the second part.
- Directors can collaborate directly with marketing and operations teams, considering promotional strategies and derivative product development from the production stage.
However, this comes with drawbacks: By bringing directors into the company, Youku can monitor their performance (abandonment rates, viewership), which may limit their creative freedom.
3. Why Don't High-Rated Dramas Become Hits?
The low viewership of highly rated dramas like "Xuan An" is not due to a general lack of interest in well-received content (for example, iQiyi's "Di Zhi Qiao Fan Zu" has a high Douban score of 8.2 but high viewership). Instead, there are three main issues:
1. Incomplete Data: The drama was broadcast both on TV and online, but Yunhe data only counts online views, excluding television viewers.
2. Breaks in Broadcasting: A 11-day hiatus after the first episode led to a decline in viewership share during that period.
3. Narrow Audience Base: Suspense dramas have a smaller audience compared to idol dramas, and their slow pace (revealing the murderer in the second episode) may deter casual viewers.
4. Youku's Director Model: Winning Prestige, Losing Profit?
Youku’s investment in director studios is not solely for high Douban ratings but to generate real revenue:
- Hidden Value: Dramas with themes like "Anti-Human Atrocities" (released on National Memorial Days) can gain political support and enhance the platform's brand image, potentially leading to better policy opportunities and higher sponsorship rates.
- Poor Commercial Results: In 2026, Jaw Whale Entertainment (formerly Youku) was merged into Alibaba’s "Other Business Units," and its financial reports were no longer published separately. Its monthly active users dropped out of the top five, with Red Fruit Short Films (with over 300 million monthly active users) taking a significant share of its audience.
In summary, Youku has achieved good reputation and brand value at a controlled cost, but it has not resulted in sufficient user growth or profit, falling short of its goals for improved operational efficiency and profitability.
5. The Challenge of Long-Form Video: Losing the "Time War" to Short-Form Content
The article highlights the broader industry trend: In the first half of 2026, long-form video content saw a 8% year-on-year decline, while short-form content (with Red Fruit Short Films having 304 million monthly active users and averaging 125 minutes of daily viewing time) is experiencing explosive growth.
Youku’s high-rated dramas, with each episode lasting dozens of minutes, may attract only a few viewers before they give up. In contrast, short-form content with frequent plot twists can keep users engaged for hours. This represents the biggest threat to long-form video: their audience time is being stolen by short-form content.
Conclusion
Youku’s focus on director-centered content aims to stand out with quality programming. However, the impact of short-form dramas means that high ratings have not translated into significant viewership and user growth. This is a challenge not only for Youku but for the entire long-form video industry: how to maintain content quality while retaining users attracted by short-form content? It may be even more difficult than achieving high Douban ratings.