(Yicai Global) Feb. 4 -- Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing has launched a new incentive for users in the form of self-made television shows they can enjoy en route.

The aim is to give passengers a better travel experience, an executive at Didi’s Beijing-based subsidiary Lilicheng Media told Yicai Global. 

1 VS 100 Dreamboys, a short series produced by Lilicheng Media and short video platform Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, aired on Douyin on Jan. 30 and will be shown next on screens in Didi’s vehicles. Field of Hope, a variety show from Lilicheng Media and Mango TV, which aired on Mango in December, will also be shown.

With self-made entertainment content, Didi can build customer loyalty, said Chen Jian, a senior analyst at data analytic firm Analysys, adding that such services allow Didi to stand out from its peers. 

Lilicheng Media’s push into content production can also help Didi's plans for an initial public offering, Chen said, as diversifying the business and expanding its sources of profit can boost its potential valuation. 

Beijing-based Didi started in ride-hailing but has branched out into other areas of automotive services such as rentals, refueling, charging, and autonomous driving as well as smart city design. Success in the cultural and entertainment fields would give the company a greater say in the industry’s future development, Chen said.

Theoretically, cars will be equipped in the future with the Internet of Vehicles and in-car hardware for entertainment, so on-board content has huge potential given that 25 million new cars are sold in China a year, Chen added. 

The new strategy is part of a push into self-made content that will be more widely available and not only for in-car viewing, a source told Yicai Global, adding that Lilicheng Media is also looking at partnerships with high-quality content producers.

The aim is to produce “more quality content to be played both on in-car screens and other media platforms,” the source said. 

Editors: Tang Shihua, Tom Litting