Mango Excellent Media Jumps 64% After China's First AI-Generated Drama Premieres

Chinese broadcaster Mango Excellent Media shares surged up to 64% this week, its biggest gain since January 2015, following the Aug. 31 premiere of "The Later Journey to the West," China's first fully AI-generated long-form television drama. The rally made Mango the top performer on the MSCI Asia Pacific Index. The show debuted under a new "review-while-broadcasting" model, allowing phased episode approvals and adjustments based on audience feedback. Shares of Kunlun Tech and China Literature also climbed, while Morgan Stanley analysts called the regulatory shift positive for platforms like Mango and iQIYI amid rising AI-enabled content competition. State broadcaster China National Radio reported 128,000 micro-dramas hit the market in the first quarter, with 95% AI-generated. Citigroup analysts highlighted near-term commercial upside in AI video models, noting ByteDance's Seedance leads in quality while rivals MiniMax and Kuaishou carve out niches.