Hong Kong’s TVB to broadcast mainland streamer Bilibili’s New Year’s gala after Victoria Harbour fireworks are axed

Hong Kong’s television viewers will be watching Bilibili’s New Year’s Eve gala on TVB instead of the usual waterfront fireworks
Bilibili is a growing video platform targeting China’s younger generation with anime, gaming content and internet culture

TV shows and streaming video

Karen Chiu

Published: 7:45am, 30 Dec 2020

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Breaking with tradition, Hong Kong’s dominant television broadcaster TVB will ring in the new year by airing a New Year’s Eve event put on by Chinese online video platform Bilibili after the typical fireworks display over Victoria Harbour was cancelled this year.

The 4.5-hour-long show touts a star-studded cast that includes piano superstar Lang Lang and Hong Kong heartthrob Nicholas Tse. It will also feature live events in Beijing, Wuhan and Taipei, according to a commercial for the event.

For years, the free over-the-air channel, which reaches the majority of Hong Kong’s population, has broadcasted the city’s midnight fireworks and light show that typically takes place on the night of December 31. It is usually followed by TVB’s own entertainment programmes. But this year’s fireworks display was called off as the government seeks to control a resurgence of coronavirus cases.

In lieu of fireworks, a drone light show will instead take place over Victoria Harbour and will be included as part of the countdown show, TVB said.

Bilibili, China’s biggest anime site, covers the screen in user comments

This marks the first time that Bilibili’s New Year’s event, previously only streamed online, will be broadcast on television. In the mainland, where the show competes with spectacles aired by regional networks and state broadcaster CCTV, Bilibili has been positioning itself as an alternative platform tailored for China’s Generation Z demographic.

Last year’s show was a breathless repertoire of dances and songs teeming with internet and pop culture references. That included a dance routine themed around the hit game World of Warcraft, performances by live-streaming stars and a rap song inspired by a meme.

The unconventional approach earned the show an average audience rating of 9.1 out of 10 on Douban, a book and entertainment review site. By comparison, China’s top-grossing foreign film last year, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame, scored 8.5.

Young Bilibili users balk at video celebrating their “rights” in China

Nasdaq-traded Bilibili reached more than 190 million monthly active users in the last quarter, according to its most recent financial report. While it still lags behind competing streaming platforms such as Tencent Video and Baidu’s iQiyi, it has established a reputation as a window into the minds of China’s youth. The platform has attracted investment from the likes of Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding, the owner of the South China Morning Post.

Founded in 2009, Bilibili started as a forum for China’s anime fans to share videos. While still retaining a subculture aura distinct from its rivals, it has since leapt into the mainstream with several high-profile partnerships with state media outlets and government-friendly productions, including an anime-styled cartoon about a young Karl Marx.

At times, Bilibili’s attempts to toe the party line have clashed with its younger users.

In May, Bilibili released a motivational commercial starring a 52-year-old actor applauding the opportunities and rights that young people in China enjoy. It instantly triggered debate online, with some viewers using it as a springboard for unleashing their frustration over the country’s widespread censorship, rising home prices and increasingly cutthroat job market.