---
title: "From Content Export to Global Revenue: Key Takeaways from the 2026 Chengdu AI Entertainment Conference"
author: "Unique Research"
sourcePublication: "Unique Research Substack"
originalPublishedAt: "2026-09-22T17:10:38+00:00"
canonical: "https://ffcap.cn/en/research/from-content-export-to-global-revenue"
source: "https://uniqueresearch.substack.com/p/from-content-export-to-global-revenue"
language: "en"
---

# From Content Export to Global Revenue: Key Takeaways from the 2026 Chengdu AI Entertainment Conference

What to make, who it's for, where to distribute it, and how to keep making money.

On the first day of the Extraordinary Awards · Chengdu AI Entertainment Conference, we focused on "how content gets made." From IP and storytelling to video models, production workflows, short dramas, motion comics, music, games, and organizational structure — the speakers kept circling the same issues: rework rates, licensing, cost, hiring, and how to deliver AI content reliably.

One shift was already clear. Two years ago, people were competing to generate the most stunning shots. By 2026, the industry is competing on who can reliably finish a hundred productions while keeping quality, cost, and timeline under control.

On day two, the questions moved further down the value chain. Once content is made, which market do you enter first? Which platforms? Short dramas, motion comics, games, or interactive content — what's best for global distribution? How do you turn China's production capacity into real global revenue?

The AI Entertainment Going Global Summit on day two was hosted by Unique Research, co-hosted by Sichuan Observation, and assisted by SeaArt AI. The morning sessions covered global markets, content categories, distribution, and business models. The afternoon Unique DemoDay put the stage in front of operators and creators, with ten projects showcasing the new products, models, and businesses emerging in AI entertainment.

In parallel, the SeaArt AI forum continued exploring how generative AI moves beyond consumer novelty into real production pipelines for film, games, and content.

Put the two days together and the throughline is simple. Day one answered "how to make it reliably." Day two answers "after you've made it, how do you go out and keep monetizing."

The morning opened with Jason from Unique Research presenting "The AI Entertainment Going-Global Market Map: Platforms, Regions, and Content Category Opportunity Ranking."

He identified three changes happening simultaneously in 2026: production costs are dropping fast, AI's share of content production keeps rising, and existing industry structures are being disrupted by new entrants.

But different categories are at very different stages. Short dramas have entered mature competition. AI motion comics are still growing fast. AI companions have built their own model around subscriptions and high retention. AI music, web novels, and generative tools each have their own playbooks.

Markets can't be lumped together either. North America has large revenue potential but high customer acquisition and regulatory costs. Japan has strong paying users. The Middle East is growing fast but has complex cultural and religious requirements. Southeast Asia and Latin America are better suited to low-price subscriptions and ad-supported models.

Another signal comes from the tool layer. In the AI web data Unique Research tracks long-term, traffic changes in video generation, 3D, music, emotional companionship, and comic tools often appear before consumer apps explode. The app market is large but increasingly expensive; foundational tools like video, dubbing, translation, and 3D can serve many content companies at once.

She Yanjun, Vice President of the Sichuan Provincial Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, presented next on "Chengdu High-tech Zone AIGC Industry Ecosystem and IP Going-Global Enablement Platform."

She started with Chengdu's industrial base. The Chengdu High-tech Zone has gathered roughly 6,000 digital cultural and creative companies, with accumulated expertise in games, animation, film, and digital content. Policy, compute, office space, and startup communities are all concentrating toward AI content teams.

But the real problems small and mid-sized teams face are concrete. They have IP but may not find the right screenwriters. They have models but must switch between dozens of tools. Once content is produced, distribution, localization, payments, copyright, and overseas operations require an entirely different set of capabilities.

The "Zhimeng Xingqiu" (Dreamweaving Planet) platform being built by the Sichuan Institute is designed to connect these pieces — IP with screenwriters, tools with production, content with overseas distribution. The institute isn't producing content itself; it wants to build a platform where rights holders, screenwriters, AI tools, overseas distribution platforms, local service providers, and payment institutions can collaborate in one system.

For Chengdu, this is a clear direction: the region already has digital cultural and IP resources, and now it needs to build the complete chain from creative concept to production to global distribution in the AI era.

The first panel, "Where to Go First, Which Platform First: AI Entertainment Global Distribution's First Stop," was moderated by Zhao Liang, Partner at Unique Capital. Panelists included Zhang Yilong, co-founder of Agnes AI; Xiao Wei (Shawn), Head of Overseas Business at China Reading (掌阅); and Zhan Zhuoan (Jim), Founder & CEO of Light Box Power (光盒动力).

None of the panelists gave a single "best market." North America suits revenue and premium IP. Southeast Asia and Latin America suit content testing and scaling. The Middle East has strong paying potential but higher localization requirements. Japan, Korea, and Europe have high entry barriers.

So small teams must answer first: do you want revenue, scale, content validation, or long-term IP? That choice directly determines market, platform, and production approach.

A practical change also emerged: knowing how to make AI content alone is no longer enough. China Reading prioritizes content incubation and distribution capability, then plugs AI production, screenwriting, production companies, and tool providers into its ecosystem. Light Box Power is extending from an overseas short-drama service provider toward self-owned IP, wanting to turn production capability into its own story and IP assets. Zhang Yilong proposed a different path from the model and tool side: use low-cost or free models to expand creator entry, then monetize through enterprise services, APIs, and B2B business.

TikTok can be used to test content. YouTube, standalone apps, and content platforms handle subsequent distribution and revenue. AI lowers the production barrier, but what actually determines results is still content judgment, distribution, localization, and ongoing operations.

The second panel, "Short Dramas, Motion Comics, Games, or Interactive Content: Which Category Suits Globalization Best?" was moderated by Wang Chaoxian, Partner at Unique Capital. Panelists included Zeng Shirui, Chairman of Infinite Universe (无限寰宇) & Xinchuang Zhongyu; Wu Jiabing, VP of Wondershare (万兴科技); Yang Zhengxin, Head of Commercialization & Marketing at TianGong AI (天工AI); and Edward Li, CEO of VideoPlus (帧观科技).

In the short term, short dramas and motion comics remain the categories the panelists broadly favor. The reason is simple: content supply is mature, Chinese teams control a significant share of overseas distribution, and payment and ad-based business models have been validated.

But Edward Li pulled the view further out. He's more focused on interactive content and games because every user choice, feedback, and behavior leaves data — these products are easier to turn into long-term iterable systems.

In this discussion, AI "cost reduction" was no longer the most important topic. Zeng Shirui noted that budgets used to constrain creators' imaginations, and now visuals that were unaffordable are achievable. Wu Jiabing warned that as production thresholds drop, content homogenization gets worse, and originality, IP, and branding become more important. Yang Zhengxin argued that content will increasingly resemble internet products: produce fast, test, get feedback, and keep iterating.

More supply doesn't mean users have extra hours in the day. As production capability becomes widespread, content itself, IP, taste, and distribution capability become the competitive differentiators again.

Globalization also can't simply mean "translate one hit into ten languages." Religion, culture, consumption habits, content standards, and platform environments all change user response. Content that works in one country may need to be redesigned for another market.

The third panel, "From Chinese Production to Global Revenue: Distribution Chains, Platforms, and Business Models," was also moderated by Zhao Liang. Panelists included Peter Zhang, co-founder of Firefly; Peng Shan (Susan), Partner & CGO of AhaCreator; and Ella, Partner at Qingnai Tech (清奈科技).

Peter Zhang first ran the numbers on short dramas. In the past, overseas live-action short drama production and user acquisition costs were both high, so the business model relied heavily on user payments. AI brought content costs down, and ad-supported models now have more room. Genres like sci-fi and fantasy that previously couldn't bear production costs may re-enter the market.

But cheaper content doesn't mean users will show up on their own. Peng Shan focused on overseas growth. Influencer marketing still requires massive manual effort for finding creators, outreach, negotiation, contracts, delivery, and review. AhaCreator wants to automate the standardizable parts using AI. She specifically noted that AI can generate enormous amounts of content but can't replicate the trust already built between creators and their fans. The real value of influencer marketing is first validating which audience, selling point, and expression work, then scaling the result.

Platforms each have their uses: TikTok for rapid spread, Instagram for content tone, YouTube for reviews, tutorials, and long-tail search.

Ella reminded the audience not to equate "generating lots of videos" with productivity. What makes content truly valuable is knowing why users buy, what expressions work, and being able to replicate that pattern consistently. Overseas markets also can't copy Chinese playbooks. Even within Southeast Asia, a method that works in one country may fail in the next.

Peter circled back to an easy-to-ignore issue: compliance and platform policy. If you violate content rules, ad rules, or app policies, the best growth model is meaningless.

Before the morning sessions ended, the 2026 Entertainment AI 100 list was released on stage.

From the day's discussions, the boundaries of AI entertainment have clearly expanded. Entering this industry are not just model and content companies, but also production tools, distribution platforms, creator ecosystems, marketing services, localization, interactive products, and industrial infrastructure. The division of labor is forming rapidly.

The afternoon shifted to Unique DemoDay, an AI roadshow session. It used a Founder & Creator OpenMic format, inviting ten founders and creators to present products and projects. The focus wasn't traditional fundraising pitches, but product capability, user scenarios, business progress, and partnership needs.

Taken together, the ten presentations covered the most active commercial paths in AI entertainment today.

Yuan Fang, Founder & Co-founder of Yingjie Intelligence / OST Media, presented "After Signing 200 AI Accounts, We Found That Short Dramas Aren't the Only Way to Make Money."

OST Media started signing AIGC accounts in February this year and now manages over 200. In practice, they found that AI-generated characters can be managed like real performers: continuously update content, build followers, then move into brand partnerships, games, long-form content, and IP licensing. Yuan Fang calls them "AI actors."

As production capability and costs level out, what really survives may be characters, scenes, accounts, and IP. Short dramas can be a traffic entry point, but if characters can be continuously operated, the commercial value doesn't end when the series ends.

Zhou Zhipeng, co-founder of Jellyfish Intelligence (Tentacle AI / 触手AI), presented "The New IP Era in the AI Context." His view is that AI is changing how IP is formed. In the past, companies created IP and users consumed it. Now users directly participate in creation, secondary creation, and interaction.

Zhou focuses on a class of "super creators" who deeply understand a specific content category. The platform handles tools, IP, operations, distribution, and monetization, returning more creative energy to the creators. So Tentacle AI wants to solve not just generation, but further: is the IP worth adapting, script pacing, platform rules, production cost, launch performance, and data review. As models become easier to obtain, knowing what content actually works becomes more important.

Wang Wenjing, Head of AIGC Commercialization Ecosystem at Maiya Media (麦芽传媒), presented "AI Drama Creation: Leaping Into New Horizons." Her market judgment was direct: AI short dramas are moving from shortage of capacity to overcapacity, with production prices dropping fast.

What needs solving next are three things: premium quality, low-cost testing, and global distribution. Maiya Media is putting its accumulated hit scripts, review rules, and content experience into tools, using AI for genre adaptation and global localization. For example, keep the emotional structure, payoff points, and character relationships of a domestic hit, then redesign the worldview and expression for overseas markets. AI tools that don't understand short dramas themselves easily only solve "can it be made" and not "will users love it."

Zhan Zhuoan (Jim), Founder & CEO of Light Box Power, presented "AI Content Going Global: From Industrialized Creation to Continuous Compound Monetization." His approach is that characters, faces, costumes, scenes, and props in one AI short drama can continue into the next production, ads, e-commerce, games, and IP licensing. The same content can keep generating revenue through platform co-distribution, TikTok, YouTube multi-country matrix accounts, and creator clip channels.

AI also changes brand placement. Live-action dramas can't easily swap products after filming, but AI content can modify products in scenes and reuse the branded plot for e-commerce ad campaigns. So the value of content industrialization isn't just making more at once — it's letting the same set of assets be used and sold again.

Wei Zhen (Aaron), Founder of Musein (目音), presented "Standing Above the Inference Product Layer: China's AI Entertainment Going-Global Capacity and Cost Solution." He believes generation itself is no longer the hardest problem today. If every new video requires rewriting prompts, re-rolling images, and re-selecting models, the team is still at the handcraft stage.

Musein wants to turn one successful production process into a replicable pipeline: brand assets, copyrighted IP, characters, and scenes enter an asset library; the system automatically splits shots, calls different models, evaluates quality, and generates different language and market versions. Users don't need to care which model is behind it — they pay only for the result.

Li Zhe, co-founder of ELSER.AI (心影次元), presented "From Generating Content to Creating Worlds: Our Practice from AI Motion Comics to Interactive Film-Games."

They started with comics, motion comics, and short drama tools, gradually connecting generation, asset management, version iteration, localization, and editing delivery. But Li Zhe's next question is: after a user finishes watching an ordinary short drama, their relationship with that world ends. Interactive content can remember user choices, character relationships, and state, keeping users returning to the same world. They're trying to use AI to lower production costs for interactive film-games, but creators still can't be removed. AI can execute many branches, but it can't decide what a story is actually trying to say.

Lu Xiaoxu, CEO of Xiaoxu Music (小旭音乐), presented "AI Singers: The New Wave of Star-Making in the Digital Age." They currently run about 20 AI singer accounts with a team of roughly 6 people, and several accounts are performing well. Lu believes building an AI singer requires solving music, visuals, and artist positioning simultaneously — positioning is most important. The voice must be memorable, visuals must be consistent, and the character needs its own personality, backstory, and worldview.

In the past, record companies "discovered an artist." In the AI era, you can "create an artist" from scratch. But once created, it still requires long-term updates of songs, music videos, short videos, and character stories. Whether users keep listening ultimately depends on whether the content generates emotion.

Deng Xianyao, Founder & CEO of LuckyShort, presented "Reflections After LuckyShort Reached 100 Million Overseas Short Drama Users." LuckyShort has operated for over two years and accumulated over 100 million overseas users. Deng's view is that overseas AI short dramas are still growing, but competition has entered a new stage. AI has dramatically lowered production costs and cycles, allowing more teams to enter the market, which means supply will increase rapidly.

LuckyShort internally balances human efficiency, cost, and quality, keeping content production and distribution testing in the same closed loop. The short drama business has a clear power-law distribution: most projects return ordinary results, while a few hits drive the majority of revenue. So what the platform truly needs to accumulate is its own content supply chain and data: what genres, plots, and tags users in different countries prefer, then keep raising the hit rate through high-volume, low-cost testing.

Xiao Mingyang, Sales GM of Linghe Shuzhi (灵核数智), presented "When a Top Employee's Capability Can Be Replicated: How Enterprises Rebuild Organizational Capability in the AI Era." He pulled the lens from content to organization.

What's truly hard to replicate about an excellent director, operator, or salesperson is often not knowledge, but the judgment formed over long-term work. In the past, this kind of capability was hard to write into an SOP. Once a top performer leaves the company, much of their experience leaves with them. Xiao believes AI offers a new opportunity: extract these implicit judgments and make them available to more employees. If one person's experience can be replicated to 10 or 100 people, AI brings not just a bit of efficiency improvement in one role, but a transformation of organizational capability as a whole.

Zhou Wenjie, CPO of Lingzhu AI (灵珠), presented "Lingzhu: TikTok in the AI Era." Lingzhu proposed a more aggressive product direction: let ordinary users use natural language to directly generate playable interactive apps and mini-games, then keep updating, remixing, and "modding" them. They want to build a two-sided ecosystem like short video platforms: one side is AI creation tools, the other is consumption and distribution.

Already, doctors use it to make medical science content, elementary school students generate their own games, and people turn online gameplay into physical products. The core question Zhou wants to validate is: after text, images, and short video, will AI applications that run, are interactive, and can be further modified become a new mass content format?

The SeaArt AI forum held in parallel in the afternoon focused on "from ToC entertainment experience to B2B industrial deployment."

Zeng Xinyue, Strategy Lead at SeaArt AI, presented "After the Model Rush: New AI Entertainment Experiences and Creator Ecosystem Restructuring."

He Shujun, Product Manager at SeaArt AI, brought "Film and Short Drama Production Practice in the AI Content Industry."

Cai Yanfeng, AI Game Producer at SeaArt AI, discussed "From Idea to Launch: AI Games Are More Than Demo Showcases."

Zhang Yi, Film & TV Industry Solutions Director at Volcano Engine (火山引擎), presented "The Technology Foundation of the AI Content Industry: From Multimodal Generation to Film Production Restructuring."

Yang Guoqin, General Manager of Xinghai OPC Startup Camp, discussed from the entrepreneur side: "OPC's 'Last Mile': Scenario Validation and Closed-Loop Business."

The final panel centered on "Commercialization Paths for AIGC KOLs, Film Production, and Platform Distribution." Participants included Nuoxiangxing, head of Yixing Hexin label; Shan Xiao, a super creator at SeaArt AI; Gezi Shijie, an AI business blogger at Xinghai OPC; and Yi Xiaonan, head of Edao Island Cultural Technology. The panel was moderated by Zhang Xue, Business Lead at SeaArt AI.

From creation platforms, film and short dramas, and AI games to cloud services, startup ecosystems, and content distribution, this sub-forum addressed the same real question: when generative AI leaves the demo stage, how does it truly enter production, delivery, and operating workflows?

Putting the day together, several changes are already clear.

First, production capability is rapidly democratizing. Knowing how to generate video, images, and music is increasingly hard to turn into a moat alone. What really separates teams now is content judgment, workflow, asset reuse, distribution, and monetization.

Second, going global is shifting from "translating content" to "operating a market." Different countries have different users, cultures, platforms, regulations, and payment environments. Entering a new market is essentially doing product again.

Third, content is becoming an asset that can be continuously operated. A character can become an AI actor. Assets from one short drama can continue into ads, games, e-commerce, and IP licensing. A singer can be created from zero and operated long-term. A work can shift from a single viewing to a continuously interactive world.

There's an earlier but possibly more important shift: AI entertainment no longer consists only of "content companies." Tools, models, creator platforms, distributors, influencer marketing, localization, payments, compute, data, and organizational capability are all entering the same value chain.

As "making it" gets easier, the truly hard questions are finally coming into focus:

What to make, who it's for, where to distribute it, and how to keep making money.

[![cover](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4-qH!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82ab5a4e-b844-4fec-92d0-ced3ac956cf0_2730x1536.jpeg)](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4-qH!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82ab5a4e-b844-4fec-92d0-ced3ac956cf0_2730x1536.jpeg)

---

Original publication: https://uniqueresearch.substack.com/p/from-content-export-to-global-revenue
On-site reading page: https://ffcap.cn/en/research/from-content-export-to-global-revenue