Xiaohongshu Acquires World Cup Broadcasting Rights, Aiming to Surpass 200 Million DAUs and Add 50 Million Monthly Users

Broadcasting Rights Cost “Less Than 1

Billion Yuan”

June 1, 2026—Chinese social e-commerce platform Xiaohongshu has acquired the broadcasting rights for this year’s North and Central America World Cup, hosted jointly by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, sparking significant industry buzz.

On May 28, the company formally announced its exclusive domestic rights as the sole internet community platform for the 2026 World Cup, covering live broadcasts, on-demand content, and short video clips.

The cost of this acquisition is particularly noteworthy. Lin Dong (alias), a senior staff member at Xiaohongshu, revealed to Chinese media outlet Zhizhi that “the expenditure was far less than public speculation, amounting to less than 1 billion yuan (approximately 20 billion yen).” Compared to TikTok and Youku, which had previously held these rights, the price indeed appears to be on a downward trend.

However, a lower cost does not mean lower expectations. On the contrary, Xiaohongshu is placing unprecedented hopes on this World Cup investment.

Stagnant DAUs:

Breaking Through the 170 Million Barrier

The motivation behind Xiaohongshu’s move to secure broadcasting rights lies in its struggle to grow its user base.

Lin Dong candidly stated, “Compared to other platforms, Xiaohongshu needs the World Cup broadcasting rights more urgently. Our current daily active users (DAUs) stand at 170 million, and this figure has been stagnant for a long time.”

The company has a clear goal: to use the World Cup as a catalyst to surpass 200 million DAUs and increase its monthly active users (MAUs) from the current 400 million by another 50 million. Lin Dong highlighted the company-wide effort, saying, “Our entire organization is in battle mode, with the lights at both our SOHO and CapitaLand Crystal office locations staying on through the nights.”

The Pressing Challenge of Attracting Male Users

Criticism has emerged online since the announcement, with many questioning whether the World Cup aligns with Xiaohongshu’s brand image. Comments such as “Can soccer fans adapt to Xiaohongshu’s content standards?” have been prevalent.

However, Xiaohongshu’s logic is simple: address deficiencies head-on.

Lin Dong emphasized, “The pressure to increase core users, especially male users, is particularly significant. The only demographic with clear potential for growth is the male audience.”

Historically, Xiaohongshu has been perceived as a female-centric platform focused on beauty, fashion, and lifestyle. However, expanding its user base is critical for growth, and sports content has been identified as the most promising avenue.

Ma Shicong, a senior analyst at Analysys, stated that Xiaohongshu’s move aims to leverage high-value sports IP events to spur traffic growth, particularly targeting male users and general sports fans who previously had little association with the platform.

He also noted that Xiaohongshu could utilize its expertise in product recommendation, known as “planting grass,” to extend event-related content into scenarios involving fashion, sports, health, and food recommendations.

Strategic Investments in Sports Since 2022

The acquisition of broadcasting rights was not a sudden decision. Xiaohongshu has been steadily investing in the sports domain over the past few years.

During the 2022 Qatar World Cup, although it did not have live broadcasting rights, Xiaohongshu signed exclusive contracts with global soccer stars like Simeone, Mourinho, and Zidane, successfully generating sports-related traffic and buzz.

In 2024, during the European Championship (EURO), the platform went further by appointing Kylian Mbappé as an advertising ambassador. During the Paris Olympics that same year, Xiaohongshu released a joint commercial featuring Mbappé and China’s former track athlete Liu Xiang, sparking viral memes and secondary creations around the phrase “French Mbappé.”

The company has continued to expand its sports-related investments, acquiring broadcasting rights for events like Germany’s Bundesliga, German Table Tennis League, and Northeast China’s intercity soccer league, while also participating in F1 race marketing campaigns.

Infrastructure Enhancements for Live Broadcasts

To accommodate large-scale sports events, Xiaohongshu has been upgrading its technical infrastructure.

Starting in March, the platform began testing a dedicated page for horizontal videos, optimizing the viewing and interaction experience for long-form and live content. In April, it introduced free 4K ultra-HD video support and Dolby Surround compatibility.

World Cup broadcasts inherently demand horizontal screens, extended durations, and strong real-time engagement. Zhuang Shuai, founder of Bailian Consulting and an expert in retail e-commerce, characterized this broadcasting rights acquisition as “a strategic step for Xiaohongshu in the video/live broadcast field, linked to its long-form video strategy.” He noted plans to sequentially upgrade video quality and distribution mechanisms through 2025, using the event as leverage to address weaknesses in video content.

From Match Viewing to Product

Recommendations: Leveraging UGC Strengths

Xiaohongshu has prepared a robust live broadcast setup. Users can watch matches for free across the Xiaohongshu app, web version, and smartphone screen mirroring. Renowned Chinese soccer figures like Fan Zhiyi and Xie Hui will provide commentary for all matches.

Additionally, the platform has introduced a daily segment called “World Cup Talk-Off Ball,” featuring collaborative match analyses and tactical discussions between soccer experts and creators at noon every day. Dedicated World Cup channels, match prediction features, and customizable fan cards are also incorporated into the app.

Zhuang Shuai highlighted Xiaohongshu’s unique approach, which differs from TikTok and Youku. By capitalizing on its user-generated content (UGC) community, Xiaohongshu aims to “domesticate” the World Cup, encouraging secondary creations and enhancing the virtuous cycle of match viewing, community engagement, and product recommendations.

Ma Shicong further pointed out that the World Cup’s value for Xiaohongshu goes beyond being a consumable content asset or advertising opportunity. It offers expansion potential for professional (PGC) and user-generated content (UGC), creating a layered content matrix from short-form to long-form, thereby enriching the content ecosystem.

Unavoidable Challenges:

The True Test of Community Management

Despite the optimistic outlook, challenges remain. The most critical issue for Xiaohongshu lies in managing its community during and after the World Cup.

A pertinent example is the case of F1. When F1-related content gained popularity on Xiaohongshu, the focus was not on the races or driver performances but on lifestyle-oriented content like Shanghai Grand Prix check-in spots, driver outfits, and racing gear recommendations. Such trends may not align with Xiaohongshu’s initial goal of attracting and retaining male users.

Zhuang Shuai emphasized that Xiaohongshu’s success post-World Cup hinges on its ability to complete a comprehensive platform management plan covering pre-match, live match, and post-match stages effectively.

Potential risks include reduced brand advertising conversion rates due to time zone differences, conflicts between soccer fans and core female users, and challenges in sustaining male user engagement due to insufficient content.

Overcoming Ritual Challenges

Nevertheless, these difficulties are not entirely new to Xiaohongshu. Platforms like Weibo and TikTok have faced and overcome similar challenges in broadcasting and managing major sports events.

This acquisition is a strategic investment for Xiaohongshu to transform its user base and address the stagnation in growth. The cost of less than 1 billion yuan appears well-justified when compared to the goal of gaining 50 million monthly users.

The ultimate question is: what will this “purchase” yield? The ability to attract male users, retain its existing female community, and establish a sustainable product recommendation cycle will determine Xiaohongshu’s future growth trajectory.

With the World Cup’s opening on the horizon, all eyes in China’s tech industry are on the outcome of Xiaohongshu’s bold move.