Bilibili

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Bilibili
Alias(es)	B站
Occupation/Role	Video-sharing website and app; operates a live-streaming platform and launches the short-video app Douyin
Status	Active; expands its domestic and overseas video, livestreaming, short-video, and free-novel businesses 76
First Appearance	8

Development Timeline

Period	Development	Result
November 2013	Bilibili hosts UP creators’ videos concerning the Xingtu Technology–Zhisu Technology handwriting-robot patent dispute.	The videos generate major discussion and direct public sympathy toward Zhisu Technology. 8
Late 2013	Lin Feng’s Coin-style Electromagnetic Rifle livestream on AcFun draws viewers away from Bilibili.	Bilibili’s traffic falls by nearly 30% in half an hour, prompting Xu Yi to seek an exclusive partnership with Lin Feng. 25 31
Early 2014	Bilibili signs a gambling agreement with Lin Feng: he must make it profitable within six months and self-sustaining within two years.	Lin Feng is promised 30% of the shares if he succeeds, while providing a profit plan and a 10-year recommendation-algorithm license. 35 43
January 1, 2014	The first-generation Douyin Recommendation Algorithm System Program launches on Bilibili.	Average user retention rises from a few minutes to over 20 minutes; new registrations exceed 1 million in one week. 61 63 65
January 23, 2014	Bilibili launches Douyin and deploys the second-generation recommendation algorithm across Bilibili, its livestreaming service, and Douyin.	Bilibili video browsing time rises from over 20 minutes to over 40 minutes; Douyin gains millions of users through interoperable Bilibili accounts. 70
Early July 2014	Bilibili, Douyin, and Tencent Video dominate China’s online-video market and expand overseas.	Bilibili reaches over 40 million domestic registered users and 13 million overseas users. 76

History

Early Platform Identity

Bilibili initially has a strong ACG focus, attracting young anime fans through anime, meme, technology, film, and music videos. This niche identity discourages many users who dislike anime, including much of the middle-aged and elderly audience. 14

Before its transformation, Bilibili struggles to find a path to profitability without relying on large-scale advertisements. Its operating costs rise as its video library and user base grow, while the company depends on continued financing to sustain daily operations. 31 33

Patent-Dispute Coverage

During the Xingtu–Zhisu patent dispute, Bilibili becomes a major venue for public-opinion campaigning. The UP creator Baijiu Tom II, who has over 200,000 followers, uploads a video presenting Zhisu as the wronged party; it gains over 100,000 views in half a day. 8

Another creator, Ancient Era Assembler, with over one million followers, releases a similar video that receives hundreds of thousands of views. Ten additional creators collectively contribute more than one million views, amplifying calls to support Zhisu’s lawsuit. 8

After Zhisu is found guilty of patent infringement, hostile UP creators—including several previously paid to smear Xingtu—produce speculative and meme-based videos targeting Lin Feng after Su Da releases inspection materials. 16

Partnership with Lin Feng

Lin Feng’s ability to redirect nearly 30% of Bilibili’s traffic to an AcFun livestream convinces founder Xu Yi that the platform needs to secure him. Xu Yi initially offers Lin Feng 0.5% of Bilibili’s shares in exchange for 20 years of exclusive domestic video and livestream releases, later increasing the offer to 0.7%. 25 31 32

Lin Feng instead proposes a broader arrangement: a profit-development plan and a recommendation algorithm capable of making Bilibili profitable and competitive with larger video platforms. The shareholders accept a gambling agreement that conditionally grants him 30% of Bilibili’s shares. 32 35 43

Bilibili subsequently revamps its website and app, adds graphical advertisements, launches a livestreaming service, and prepares to develop short videos before entering the free-novel market. 37 43

Platform Features

Recommendation Algorithm

Lin Feng’s recommendation system analyzes users’ preferences and behavioral patterns to promote content they are likely to enjoy. Its deployment shifts Bilibili away from a homepage dominated by anime content toward personalized recommendations across technology, news, film and television, and other categories. 44 61

• The first-generation system increases user retention from a few minutes to over 20 minutes. 63
• The system drives concurrent-user growth and supports Bilibili’s livestreaming business. 63
• The second-generation system doubles average browsing time to over 40 minutes on its first day of deployment. 70
• The same second-generation system is used on Bilibili, its livestreaming platform, and Douyin. 70

Livestreaming

Bilibili builds a livestreaming platform as part of its profitability plan, using recommendation-driven traffic to challenge established competitors. 37 63

• The livestreaming business contributes 90% of Bilibili’s profits during Lin Feng’s inspection of the company. 63
• Within one week of the recommendation system’s launch, Bilibili’s livestreaming service defeats AcFun’s broadcast board and Momo. 63
• Well-known streamers, including Xiao Zhi, Sao Nan, Sao Zhu, Ruo Feng, Xiao Cang, and Miss, move to Bilibili’s platform. 64

Douyin

Douyin is Bilibili’s short-video app, created separately from Bilibili’s medium-length video ecosystem to avoid disrupting the main platform’s identity. 36 70

• Bilibili and Douyin accounts are interoperable, allowing Bilibili users to enter Douyin without registering again. 70
• Douyin initially relies on short Bilibili videos and livestream content while building its own content library. 70
• Cash red-envelope incentives encourage users to create and share short videos. 71
• The second-generation recommendation system achieves 95% accuracy and helps Douyin gain 8 million users in its first seven days. 71

Free Novels

Bilibili’s free-novel strategy begins with anime fanfiction and light novels, targeting the reading interests of its anime-oriented user base. 35 36

• The platform intends to purchase and enforce copyrights while using recommendations to connect writers and readers. 36
• Rather than charging readers directly, the business relies on advertising revenue for both the platform and writers. 36
• By July 2014, the free-novel business is operating and expanding beyond fanfiction light novels. 76

Relationships

• Lin Feng — Major shareholder under a conditional gambling agreement; provides Bilibili’s profit plan and recommendation-algorithm license. 35 43
• Xu Yi — Founder and early head of Bilibili; approaches Lin Feng after the AcFun traffic loss and negotiates their cooperation. 25 31 32
• He Rui — Bilibili’s first angel investor who later joins its operations, supports the short-video strategy, and serves as CEO during the algorithm’s promotional campaign. 33 37 65
• Qu Qiongying — Represents Lin Feng in negotiations and argues that his traffic-driving value warrants better terms than Xu Yi’s initial share offer. 31 32
• Douyin — Bilibili’s affiliated short-video app, linked through an interoperable account system and shared recommendation technology. 70
• AcFun — Rival platform whose broadcast livestream temporarily pulls nearly 30% of Bilibili’s traffic away. 25
• Director Ao — Veteran UP creator who publicly challenges Lin Feng’s claim that his recommendation algorithm is worth 20% of Bilibili’s shares. 45
• Tencent Video — One of the three dominant Chinese online-video companies alongside Bilibili and Douyin by July 2014. 76

Story Role

Bilibili serves as the central proving ground for Lin Feng’s recommendation algorithm. Its rapid growth provides the public evidence he needs to demonstrate that the system can transform user retention, content discovery, advertising exposure, and livestreaming revenue. 33 63 65

The platform also functions as a battleground for online public opinion. Its creators and commenters influence the patent dispute, challenge Lin Feng’s credibility, promote his inventions, and later debate the value of his algorithm. 8 16 44 45

Trivia

• Bilibili officially has only four employees when Lin Feng presents his development plan, while its shareholder count exceeds its employee count. 35
• Lin Feng’s Coin-style Electromagnetic Rifle documentary and promotional video receive prominent homepage placement during Bilibili’s major website and app update. 38
• Bilibili’s algorithm promotion guarantees Lin Feng’s documentary and promotional video up to six exposures before recommendations cease for a user who ignores them. 65