Tencent’s TikTok-style video feed tripled views in 2022

Channels, which executives said logged 200% viewer growth in 2022, has become a strategic focus for Tencent, as the sprawling games and ecommerce giant fights to keep WeChat users’ attention in an increasingly crowded contents market. — Bloomberg

WeChat’s fledgling short-video feed tripled the number of its viewers in 2022, as the Tencent Holdings Ltd-owned messaging app seeks to stem an outflow of traffic to rival TikTok and its Chinese cousin Douyin.

Total number of views on WeChat Channels surged, helped by a 400% rise in video views based on AI recommendations, as well as a 237% jump in news video views, Tencent executives said during the company’s annual WeChat conference Tuesday. That propelled growth in Channels’ livestreaming ecommerce, with total gross merchandise value jumping more than 800%, they said.