Bilibili wants to be YouTube's rival everywhere, not just in China

[DragonSlayer101]

First look: Widely regarded as China's homegrown YouTube alternative, video-sharing platform Bilibili has rekindled its global ambitions, launching a new mobile app for international markets. The company has also removed the strict identity verification requirements that often prevented global users from accessing its content.

The international Bilibili app is currently available on Android, with an iOS version expected soon. The company is also reportedly working on an English-language website that will offer content from popular creators.

New job listings on LinkedIn and marketing materials distributed to influencers also suggest the company has started hiring in the US, Europe, Japan, and other key markets.

– bilibili Creator Hub (@bilibili_create) August 19, 2026

According to the job listings, Bilibili is hiring community managers in Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, Istanbul, and Tokyo. Another job listing, for a Singapore-based position, revealed that the company is developing "AI-powered content moderation systems" for the international platform.

In a post on a newly created X account, Bilibili confirmed its international expansion plans but did not reveal a timeline for the official launch. In another post, the company stated that both the Chinese and global versions will offer the same content, but noted that the global version will offer "better localization & easier sign ups" for international users.

– bilibili Creator Hub (@bilibili_create) August 19, 2026

The global version of the Bilibili app uses a pink color scheme, with a small globe icon in the top-left corner of the app icon to distinguish it from the Chinese version.

As part of its global ambitions, Bilibili has been urging popular global influencers, including MrBeast, to upload their content to the existing Chinese-language platform, which the company says has more than 376 million monthly active users.

The company has already taken several steps to make its platform more accessible to international visitors. For starters, it has quietly dropped the identity verification process that required users to provide a passport or ID document to upload content.

– bilibili Creator Hub (@bilibili_create) August 19, 2026

According to Semafor, Bilibili has created a Discord server where it's marketing its international platform as an additional income opportunity for creators and influencers. The company also reportedly shared a document with global creators describing itself as the perfect platform to connect with "Gen Z Coded, affluent and well-educated" users.

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Bilibili wants to be YouTube's rival everywhere, not just in China

 

[pnntmp]

Great!
One more, and more heavily censored YouTube, that will spread the CCP propaganda.

 

[yRaz]

Youtube has been going down hill while getting more expensive for awhile now, I welcome some competition in the independent streaming space.

 

[GeoffreyA]

Competition is welcome.

 

[psycros]

I'm concerned about how much anime has Bilibili underwriting it. Its only a matter of time before they start pushing their agenda the same way Netflix and Amazon push theirs.

 

[dangh]

We need competition. Pity it is just same level of crap but better than nothing.

 

[VariableSpike]

Competition is good, shame its the CCP state sponsored site (I imagine they will have to do a tiktok / douyin else data protection laws in the EU will bit them in the backside vs China's "we will farm all your data to analyse and interrogate as we see fit" (then again at least they are honest vs what google and the like do for advertising data), I expect censorship to be a sticking point as well otherwise if they want this to actually succeed

Their main problem will be that all the Youtube demonetisation and content strictness issues are all aa a result of advertisers being mouthy, and not always Google directly, so I imagine this will just end up being the same as youtube once advertisers get their mucky fingers involved "no swearing next to my ads, I don't care if this isn't catered to kids!"

 

[toooooot]

I want to try to make a video about tiananmen square on it. Let's see how they handle truth about precious CCP.

 

[RudyBob]

Great. Can I watch Hill Street Blues and Green Acres?

 

[Kashim]

Great!
One more, and more heavily censored YouTube, that will spread the CCP propaganda.

Funny, we already had TikTok for your so called "CCP propaganda" but you guys fought tooth and nail to keep it from getting banned. Now Bilibili is coming, well that's where you draw the line! *roll eyes*