@streamiverse Hey guys! A little late but I just listened to your episode on iQiyi and thought I'd give some insight as a consumer. It's pronounced ai-chee-yee (i as in iPhone lol), and they do have an English site now as you have found https://www.iq.com/  (part 1)

I know at least some of their content has English subs (although they are bad lol) but not sure how much. So the show that Rob clicked on that said watch for six minutes and then pay was actually a VIP show --they have plenty of content that is available to watch free (part 2)

Usually their shows are free, but they'll have additional content (extras/outtakes, scenes that didn't make the cut, etc.) as VIP content. Or they'll have like a spin-off show related to the main series for VIP. Sometimes the main shows will also get archived to VIP (part 3)

after some time. My favourite thing about the app is probably how willing they are to take risks with original ideas for shows. Back in 2017 they made The Rap of China, (singing contestant show but for rap), which brought hip hop into the mainstream for the first time. (part 4)

People thought they were crazy b/c hip hop doesn't seem like it would sit well with Chinese society (and for awhile it didn't) but fast forward to 2020 and hip hop is slowly gaining acceptance and now two other larger platforms are creating similar shows (part 5)

They also did the same with the Korean style idol elimination/survival shows --though they weren't the first to bring them to China, they were the first to have it blow up in China and now everyone and their mother is doing the concept. (part 6)

I will acknowledge that the concept of the shows that I mentioned are technically "borrowed", but they do have a knack for doing them well (and imo, better than their other Chinese competitors). There's also stuff that's actually original too (part 7)

Alright this is getting way too long I'm sorry haha. But yeah these are just thoughts from the perspective of someone who watches a lot of Chinese content.

I found your podcast while looking into Quibi fails and enjoy it a lot; thanks for entertaining and informing us! (part 8)