BEIJING, Oct. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — iQIYI, China’s leading online entertainment platform, released its viewership data and content trends for the 2024 National Day Holiday (October 1-7) this week, revealing an 11% sequential increase in total viewing time compared to the pre-holiday period and highlighting a growing appetite for diverse content. Viewers turned to traditional favorites like drama series, films, and animation, while light and entertaining genres such as comedy and variety shows saw exceptional growth, and short-form content continued to gain popularity as a general trend.

A Rich Selection of Premium Content Continues to Captivate Viewers

Drama series continued to dominate holiday content consumption on iQIYI, leading the viewing time across genres. New releases such as Born To Be The One, The Limbo, Wind Direction, Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 2: To the West, and Go East quickly entered the top 10 on the popularity chart, followed by iQIYI’s evergreen hits like The Knockout and Story of Kunning Palace, which continued to rank in the top 20 as popular picks for repeat viewing.

Viewers showed stronger interests in films, as evidenced by a 70% surge in viewing time for iQIYI’s film channel compared to the previous period, with 29 titles newly added between September 30 and October 7. By the end of the holiday, four films – Successor, Go For Broke, Upstream, and A Place Called Silence – ranked in the platform’s top 10 most popular content.

Notably, the comedy film Successor, which led the 2024 Chinese mainland summer box office, set a new record on iQIYI’s film popularity index with a score of 9,247. The iQIYI-presented action film Blade of Fury also received high ratings for its high-quality production. Additionally, data indicated that 40% of users opted for big screens, reflecting a growing preference for a richer viewing experience alongside a diverse content slate.

Viewing time for variety shows also experienced both annual and sequential growth, with a 37% yearly uptick. The hit show The King of Stand-up Comedy led in both viewing time and popularity, bringing constant laughs to audiences. Other popular IPs also maintained strong following, highlighting their lasting appeal. For example, seasons 1, 2 and a spinoff of Become a Farmer all secured spots in the top 5 for variety show viewing time.

Holiday data further revealed a significant jump in viewing time for iQIYI’s animation and kids’ content, rising by 69% and 35%, respectively. The iconic series One Piece claimed the top spot on the animation popularity chart, followed closely by How Dare You!, an iQIYI original production. PAW Patrol Season 10 emerged as the most popular title among kids’ content, standing out within iQIYI’s rich library of engaging programming for young viewers.

Short-Form Content Emerging as a New Choice for Viewers

To meet the increasing demand for concise storytelling and short-form content, iQIYI recently launched brand-new ‘Micro-Drama Theater’ and ‘Short-Drama Theater’ at its iJOY conference held last month. It also curated a dedicated section on its homepage to highlight such content during the holiday, featuring popular titles like Awaken Lion and The Great Nobody.

With a variety of genres, from suspense to period romance, iQIYI’s short dramas have resonated with viewers of all ages. The period drama Hard Noble Lady surpassed RMB6 million (US$850,000) in shared revenue by October 1 and broke through the RMB7 million mark (US$1 million) by October 8.

New micro-dramas also received a positive market response, with The Obsessive Boss achieving a popularity score of 4,500 within 24 hours of release, gathering over 40 million views from 4 million viewers.

Furthermore, iQIYI recently announced that, starting in October, the new ‘Micro-Drama Theater’ will debut two mobile-optimized vertical dramas each week, with episodes lasting 1 to 5 minutes, aimed at both younger and older viewers.

Simultaneously, the ‘Short-Drama Theater’ will release one new title weekly, offering episodes between 5 and 20 minutes across various genres, further expanding the platform’s content library.

Media Contact: iQIYI Press, press@qiyi.com 

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SOURCE iQIYI

North America factory purchasing activity deteriorates more quickly in September, with demand at its weakest year-to-date, signaling a quickly slowing U.S. economyFactory procurement activity in China fell for a third straight month, and devastation from Typhoon Yagi hit vendors feeding Southeast Asian markets like VietnamEurope’s industrial recession deepens, leading to an even larger increase in supplier spare capacity

CLARK, N.J., Oct. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index — a leading indicator tracking demand conditions, shortages, transportation costs, inventories and backlogs based on a monthly survey of 27,000 businesses — decreased in September to -0.43 (August: -0.37), its lowest level in 14 months and indicating the greatest level of global supply chain spare capacity since July 2023.

The rise in underutilized vendor capacity was driven by a further deterioration in global demand. Factory purchasing activity was at its weakest in the year-to-date, with procurement trends in all major continents worsening in September and signaling gloomier prospects for economies heading into Q4.

Notably, supplier spare capacity shot up again in North America. U.S. manufacturers lowered their purchasing volumes aggressively in September, with a slowing of the U.S. economy denting factory orders. 

In Asia, supply chain spare capacity also rose to a year-to-date high. Slowing economic conditions in other parts of the globe led factory procurement activity in China to fall for a third straight month in September. There was also the devasting impact of Typhoon Yagi across Southeast Asia. Vietnam was affected in particular, causing vendor supplying this part of the region to suffer as a result.

Europe’s industrial recession intensified, reflecting the blight of major manufacturers in the continent due to macro factors like competitive pressures from China, high energy costs and a flagging eurozone economy.  

“September is the fourth straight month of declining demand and the third month running that the world’s supply chains have spare capacity, as manufacturing becomes an increasing drag on the major economies,” explained Jagadish Turimella, president, GEP. “With the potential of a widening war in the Middle East impacting oil, and the possibility of more tariffs and trade barriers in the new year, manufacturers should prioritize agility and resilience in their procurement and supply chains.”

SEPTEMBER 2024 KEY FINDINGS

DEMAND: Global demand for raw materials, commodities and other intermediate goods deteriorated more quickly in September, reflecting a stronger downturn in procurement activity across many major global economies, such as the U.S., China and Germany.INVENTORIES: In September, reports of stockpiling due to price or supply concerns remained below the long-term average.MATERIAL SHORTAGES: The item shortages indicator fell to its lowest level since January 2020, indicating improved global raw material availability as factories retrench.LABOR SHORTAGES: Reports of staff shortages leading to a rise in backlogs at manufacturers were in line with historically typical levels in September. This indicates that labor supply is generally capable of meeting demand.TRANSPORTATION: Global transportation costs once again dipped in September and were the lowest since July 2023.  

REGIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN VOLATILITY

NORTH AMERICA: Index fell to a 15-month low of -0.78, from -0.62, signaling a further increase in spare vendor capacity. The U.S. market drove this, with the economyslowing ahead of the presidential election. EUROPE: Index fell to a nine-month low of -0.74, from -0.53, indicating a further intensification of the continent’s industrial downturn. Germany continues to pull other parts of the region down with it. U.K.: Index fractionally rose to -0.12, from -0.14. The U.K. is demonstrating some resilience to wider global economic headwinds — partly reflecting an ongoing post-election bounce. ASIA: Index at a year-to-date low of -0.36, down from -0.07, signalling the highest level of spare vendor capacity since December 2023. In addition to a slowing Chinese market, Typhoon Yagi dented supplier activity in Southeast Asia.

For more information, visit www.gep.com/volatility.

Note: Full historical data dating back to January 2005 is available for subscription. Please contact economics@spglobal.com.

The next release of the GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index will be 8 a.m. ET, Nov. 12, 2024.

About the GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index 
The GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index is produced by S&P Global and GEP. It is derived from S&P Global’s PMI® surveys, sent to companies in over 40 countries, totaling around 27,000 companies. The headline figure is a weighted sum of six sub-indices derived from PMI data, PMI Comments Trackers and PMI Commodity Price & Supply Indicators compiled by S&P Global.

A value above 0 indicates that supply chain capacity is being stretched and supply chain volatility is increasing. The further above 0, the greater the extent to which capacity is being stretched.A value below 0 indicates that supply chain capacity is being underutilized, reducing supply chain volatility. The further below 0, the greater the extent to which capacity is being underutilized.

For more information about the methodology, click here.

About GEP
GEP® delivers AI-powered procurement and supply chain solutions that help global enterprises become more agile and resilient, operate more efficiently and effectively, gain competitive advantage, boost profitability and increase shareholder value. Fresh thinking, innovative products, unrivaled domain expertise, smart, passionate people — this is how GEP SOFTWARE™, GEP STRATEGY™ and GEP MANAGED SERVICES™ together deliver procurement and supply chain solutions of unprecedented scale, power and effectiveness. Headquartered in Clark, New Jersey, GEP has offices and operations centers across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. To learn more, visit www.gep.com.

About S&P Global
S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) S&P Global provides essential intelligence. We enable governments, businesses and individuals with the right data, expertise and connected technology so that they can make decisions with conviction. From helping our customers assess new investments to guiding them through ESG and energy transition across supply chains, we unlock new opportunities, solve challenges and accelerate progress for the world. We are widely sought after by many of the world’s leading organizations to provide credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help the world’s leading organizations plan for tomorrow, today.

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Smart Merchant Solution will join the BLUU group of companies to form Bluu SMS, Inc., to provide branded and specialized POS and Payment products and services.

DALLAS, Oct. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — JS Merchant Solution, Inc., dba Smart Merchant Solution, a provider of point of sale (POS) solutions and payment processing in the greater Dallas area, announced that it is changing its name to Bluu SMS, Inc, and joining the BLUU group of companies lead by Bluu, Inc and United Merchant Services, Inc based in Hackensack, New Jersey. Smart Merchant Solution plans on leveraging BLUU group’s five decades of combined experience in merchant focused product services and innovative solutions. BLUU is well-established and one of the largest solutions providers in the ethnic marketplace. By combining forces, Smart Merchant Solutions will gain access to a wider array of products and services as well as expanded menu of value-added products for merchants.

Smart Merchant Solution is a leading provider of electronic payment processing services and POS systems in the greater Dallas area. With a proven track record of successfully meeting the payment processing and POS needs of numerous businesses, Smart Merchant Solution has built a loyal customer base and a strong reputation for delivering outstanding service, driven by its commitment to customer satisfaction.

This strategic naming and joining forces with BLUU group of companies strengthens Smart Merchant Solution’s position as an industry leader and broadens its capabilities, enabling the company to offer even more advanced solutions and superior support to its customers in the POS solutions and payment processing industry.

By welcoming Smart Merchant Solution into its fold, BLUU aims to empower more businesses with seamless payment solutions, cutting-edge SaaS platforms, and accessible lending capital. The integration of BLUU’s resources and expertise will give Smart Merchant Solutions a springboard for further expansion and growth by delivering greater value to its customers.

“We are excited to welcome Smart Merchant Solution to the BLUU family,” said Jay Yoon, CEO of Bluu, Inc. “Joining forces with SMS aligns well with our long-term growth strategy and strengthens our ability to offer comprehensive solutions to our merchants. Together, we will continue to innovate and set new standards in the POS and payment processing industry.”

As a result of the acquisition, BLUU group of companies will expand into new markets and reach a broader customer base. This integration will streamline operations, improve customer support, and boost processing speeds, solidifying BLUU as a strategic partner for businesses in need of reliable and advanced POS and payment solutions.

JS Merchant Solution, Inc.

Founded in 2002, Smart Merchant Solutions grew its merchant base by adapting to changing market needs and recognizing that integrating new technology is essential for business success. The company’s goal is to offer competitively priced products and services while setting a new standard for exceptional customer service. www.SmartMerchantSolution.com.

About BLUU group of companies.

Founded in 1994, as United Merchant Services, Inc (“UMSI”), UMSI has evolved over three decades into  a leading payments company specializing in Merchant Business Solutions. UMSI was ranked 50th  on the US Merchant Acquirer rankings by the Nilson Report (Issue 1260, March 2024), and holds a prominent position as a major force in the ethnic payment processing market. Founded in 2008, United POS Solution, Inc (fka UP Solution), is a leading provider of POS hardware and software solutions. The company changed its name to Bluu, Inc in 2022.

Bluu, Inc and UMSI entered into a joint branding arrangement in 2022 to create BLUU group of companies, including Allup Finance, LLC specializing in providing capital to business owners, Allup.com, LLC specializing in direct-to-merchant POS solutions, and One Merchant Solution, LLC providing solutions and payment processing in multiple number of states.

The BLUU group of companies aim to become a significant presence in the Merchant Business Solutions and Payment Processing through a unified branding. BLUU recognized the continuously evolving landscape of the payments industry, and aims to further integrate its SaaS (“software-as-a-service”) platforms, introduce new hardware and software innovations, including data analytics, and seamless weave POS solutions and payment services for a more seamless merchant experience.

BLUU offers the “United POS as a Service” (“UPaaS”), designed to provide resellers with a cost-effective and worry-free POS experience, assisting resellers to maximize profits through our cost-effective POS systems. ebluu.com.

Contacts
For Bluu SMS, Inc., and BLUU group of companies:
Philip Mun, Assistant Director of Marketing
mphilip@ebluu.com

Media Contact:
Bluu, Inc
legal@ebluu.com

Photo(s):
https://www.prlog.org/13042534

Press release distributed by PRLog

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SOURCE Bluu Inc