Chinese video platform Bilibili is expanding beyond its home market to build a global audience and attract creators worldwide. The company has relaunched its international Android app and is preparing an English-language website as part of its wider expansion strategy.
Bilibili is seeking users and video creators outside China while increasing its presence in international markets. The company is also hiring staff in major cities, including Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, Istanbul, and Tokyo.
The move puts Bilibili in direct competition with established global video platforms such as YouTube. The company has spent years building a large community in China around user-generated videos, animation, gaming and entertainment, and is now looking to replicate that model in other markets.
Rather than simply exporting its existing Chinese service, Bilibili is placing creators, content and community at the center of its international push. The company has relaunched its international Android app and is working on an English-language website. It is also actively recruiting YouTubers and international influencers.
Bilibili's creator presentation describes the platform as 'Gen Z' centric. It is developing a marketplace connecting content creators and brands for sponsored content. At the same time, the company is hiring community managers across international territories and using its AI technology to develop content moderation systems for new markets.
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Bilibili was traditionally popular for anime, comics, and gaming content, and has since grown to encompass other types of content, including user-generated, professional creator, and licensed content. It has some distinctive features such as 'bullet comments,' which are real-time danmu placed on videos.
Long video, short video, and livestream are all services available on the platform, and one of its important characteristics is its young audience, dominated by Generation Z.
Bilibili's internationalization of the platform will happen gradually, rather than with a single international launch. The international Android app is ready for users outside China, while the English version of the website has yet to launch.
According to their statement on August 19, the Android application is now accessible worldwide, and they are developing their English web application. It could be different from country to country. An exact launch date for all products internationally hasn't been provided.
The main purpose of this strategy is to enable the company to attract more viewers and also grow internationally, among other things.