iQiyi, a leading Asian streaming platform, and Ant Group announced a joint partnership program that encompasses a full-suite of Alipay+ global cross-border payment and marketing solutions for iQiyi to expand its market outreach with more payment options and enhanced user engagement.

Making the announcement on a panel at this year’s Asia TV Forum & Market, iQiyi International’s Head of Business Development Anna Pak Burdin shared, “Born-and-bred in Asia, our goal is to bring great Asian stories to international audiences and we are also constantly looking for like-minded partners to join us in our journey. We are excited to deepen our partnership with Alipay+ on this extended, continuous partnership format as we look to increase the accessibility of our platform through Alipay+’s capabilities in Asia. This marks another step forward to reaching audiences everywhere with amazing Asian stories, featuring universal themes and storylines.”

The collaboration follows iQiyi’s adoption of Alipay+ payment solutions in 2020 to make purchases to its services a smoother and more inclusive experience among e-wallet users across Asia. The payment option is directly available to connect e-wallets including TrueMoney in Thailand, Kakao Pay in Korea, Dana in Indonesia, Touch’n’Go in Malaysia and GCash in the Philippines.

Under a joint agreement, the enhanced partnership will enable the two companies to work together to increase iQiyi’s marketing exposure through marketing campaigns and other online channels, enabling the company to serve more users across Asia, optimize payment options for a growing population of mobile-native audience in the region, and sustain long-term growth.

Introduced by Ant Group in 2020, the Alipay+ payment and marketing solutions are designed to make it efficient for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to accept various payment methods and conduct cost-effective digital marketing campaigns. Through Alipay+ solutions that connect acquiring partners, e-wallets and banks, merchants can easily connect with mobile payment users worldwide.

In November, prominent global and local brands from digital entertainment to lifestyle services have teamed up with Alipay+ and leading e-wallets in Southeast Asia in launching 11.11 Mega Deals, issuing over 10 million coupons to enliven the annual shopping season and boost post-pandemic economic recovery.

Ant International Business Group Head of Key Accounts Marketing & Operations, Global Merchant Partnerships, Scarlett Xing said, “Marketing across channels and across regions has been a pain point for merchants, both online and offline. With Alipay+ solutions, we aim to provide diversified, yet agile and cost-effective marketing options to brands and support their long-term growth.”

The two companies are expected to further marketing outreach, engaging with e-wallets users in Asia through various approaches including digital campaigns, virtual benefits and coupons. “With iQiyi’s deep knowledge in digital content and our joint commitments to the region, we hope the partnership can demonstrate how innovation in the mobile era can lift user engagement experience to the next level,” said Xing.

Having set up their international Headquarters in Singapore last December, iQiyi has since established local operational offices in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Middle-East, and North America, with content development teams in South Korea. Most recently, the streamer announced four original productions from Korea and their first local originals slate out of the Philippines.