A new academic study challenges conventional wisdom about unauthorized video sharing, finding that condensed “pirated” clips from TV series on platforms such as TikTok can have an unexpected effect on the real works.
Researchers at Peking University examined the impact of short, unofficial clips posted on the Chinese version of TikTok, known as Douyin. While media companies generally view this type of activity as copyright infringement, the study concluded that these snippets can actually serve as effective promotional teasers.
The study analyzed a pivotal period in April 2021, when Chinese entertainment companies protested against Douyin over the mass sharing of unlicensed TV footage. This led to a massive removal campaign of over 500,000 “pirated” videos. Using this event as an experiment, researchers tracked the impact of clip removals on the broadcast figures of these same television shows on the popular Chinese platform iQIYI.
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Video clips on TikTok help promote films and series
Remarkably, they found that removing the previously ubiquitous douyin clips, resulted in a 3% decline in views of original, paid content on iQIYI. In other words, unofficial previews promoted, not cannibalized, legal streaming activity.
“ Short-length condensed clips can be considered user-generated samples of original video works », Explain the researchers. “ They produce positive impacts by increasing the visibility of television series and attracting viewers interested in full content on streaming services “.
The results seem to align with current promotional strategies, since influencers are often used to generate excitement by sharing snippets and previews of new productions. Everything now suggests thatmore organic sharing of snippets on platforms like TikTok could achieve a similar marketing effect, if not limited to piracy.
The study’s findings come with some caveats. For example, shows with more complex narratives, like crime dramas and fantasy epics, have benefited more from TikTok promotional clips than traditional romantic storylines. Highly rated shows also enjoyed higher viewership than poorly received series.
Researchers assume that the condensed clips provide just enough of a hook to pique interest without spoiling the complex plots of the compelling shows. On the other hand, for romance novels and simpler sitcoms, excerpts risk revealing too much of the full experience, which diminishes their promotional value.