- YouTube megastar MrBeast debuts on China’s Bilibili, garnering 4 million views in the first day.
- He signals openness to visiting China someday amid plans to join Douyin and Weibo.
- China offers a major growth opportunity for Western digital creators seeking its 1 billion online users.
MrBeast’s Chinese debut on Bilibili
Jimmy Donaldson, better known by his YouTube persona MrBeast, has made his first foray into the Chinese market with an introductory video posted to leading video platform Bilibili on Tuesday.
The 90-second montage of Donaldson’s popular YouTube content garnered over 4 million views and 351,000 likes in its first day, kicking off his efforts to engage with China’s massive online audience.
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Openness to China
In response to fans, Donaldson signaled openness to visiting China someday, writing, “Anything is possible.”
His manager, Eyal Baumel, added that Bilibili was chosen for its similarities to YouTube and that Donaldson plans to join other top Chinese platforms like Douyin and Weibo this year.
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Opportunity for digital creators
The move reflects Donaldson’s global aspirations beyond his towering presence on YouTube, where he boasts over 234 million subscribers.
His company pulled in an estimated $82 million in revenue last year alone.
China represents a major growth opportunity for digital creators like Donaldson. He follows a wave of Western internet celebrities attempting to tap into the country’s nearly 1 billion online users.
China’s tightly controlled internet landscape offers huge financial upside for those able to navigate it.
