After becoming China’s answer to YouTube, BiliBili has its eyes on the rest of the world

Can one of China’s biggest video hosting sites compete with the titans of the Western tech industry? BiliBili is about to find out.

The 17-year-old entertainment hub, which ranks among the top 100 most-visited webpages in the world, is expanding. After developing a reputation as the Chinese version of YouTube, BiliBili is looking to compete across the globe by launching an international platform and hiring in key regions.

In China, where YouTube is banned, BiliBili is a gateway to local audiences. In addition to its library of user-generated content, it also hosts several original programs. One of its first originals, The Daily Life of the Immortal King, has run for five seasons and more than 60 episodes.

Some Western creators have sought connections with Chinese viewers by bringing their videos to BiliBili. Most notably, MrBeast arrived on the platform in 2024 and quickly rolled up millions of views.

Now, BiliBili is testing whether that effect will work in reverse. The international rise of TikTok — which began as an offshoot of the Chinese platform Douyin — has given more visibility to East Asian creators and cultural trends. Microdramas are booming, ecommerce has become big business in the West, and China-based personalities like Songsong and Ermao now rank among the most-watched creators on YouTube.

In other words, the proverbial iron is hot, and BiliBili is ready to strike. According to Semafor, which cited job postings, product listings, and Discord chatter, BiliBili is primed for overseas expansion. An international platform that was discontinued last year

has been relaunched, ID requirements for overseas signups have been dropped, and BiliBili offices are adding staff in cities like Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, Istanbul, and Tokyo.

“Yes, BiliBili is going global,” reads a tweet from the company’s Creator Hub. “Follow for more updates.”

For BiliBili, staying competitive in regions where both YouTube and TikTok are active will be no small task. Another Chinese platform, known locally as Xiaohongshu and internationally as RedNote, tried to turn the U.S. TikTok ban threat into an expansion opportunity. Instead, Westerners regarded RedNote as a curiosity and gave up on it once TikTok’s American operations were secured.

BiliBili, however, offers plenty of opportunities to earn, and that could be a major selling point. A signature feature is real-time, side-scrolling “danmu” comments, which creators can monetize. It’s as if YouTube’s Super Chats were crossed with a bullet hell video game.

BiliBili creators can also receive funding directly from their fans. A Discord chat for BiliBili users alluded to the platform’s “Gen Z Coded, affluent and well-educated” user base.

If BiliBili can become a dependable revenue stream for its new users, it will certainly attract attention from Western creators. MrBeast has already brought his videos to China’s version of YouTube. Who will follow him there?