The production company revealed in its first half of 2026 financial report that Allen Ren-starring fantasy historical drama ‘Jia Gou Tian Cheng’ recorded 251 million yuan in revenue.
Allen Ren (Ren Jialun)-starring fantasy historical drama ‘Jia Gou Tian Cheng’ recorded 251 million yuan (approximately 5.96 billion yen) in revenue, the production company revealed in its financial report for the first half of 2026.
The work began streaming on April 25 on iQIYI and Tencent Video with little to no promotion. On May 11, it recorded a maximum market share of 16.5% on ‘Yunhe Data,’ a Chinese entertainment data service, and ranked second in the long-form drama popularity ranking. On ‘Maoyan Pro,’ effective viewership exceeded 617 million by May 19. Overseas, within one week of its release, it secured the top spot in the iQIYI International version popularity rankings in 14 countries and regions.
Commercially, it also performed well, with Tencent Video’s subscriber count increasing from 112 million before release to 114 million. iQIYI also evaluated the work as an annual hit. Ad placements also increased during the streaming period, becoming ‘fully ad-supported’ by August 6, with the total ad time on both platforms exceeding 1,400 seconds.
The production cost for this work was approximately 250 million yuan (approximately 5.94 billion yen), which is about half that of an S-class historical drama, typically costing 400 to 600 million yuan (approximately 9.5 to 14.2 billion yen). It is a ‘lightweight’ production where actor compensation was limited to 12% and investment in special effects to 8%.
‘Jia Gou Tian Cheng’ succeeded in attracting viewers through its compelling storytelling and the lead actor’s influence, rather than relying on massive production costs or extensive promotion, leading to achievements in advertising and the overseas market. It is drawing attention as a successful example that demonstrated high cost-effectiveness in the Chinese historical drama market during the first half of 2026. (Translation/Editing/RR)