(Yicai Global) Sept. 4 -- iQiyi, widely known as China's Netflix, is following in the footsteps of its front runner by hiding from viewers the number of times a video has been seen.

The Beijing-based firm, which spunoff from Baidu with a Nasdaq listing in March, will replace the view count with a popularity rating based on comprehensive user behavior data, such as the shows they watch and how they interact with content, it said in a statement yesterday.

This is something Netflix has done from the get-go. It originally used a five-star rating and review system which was publicly displayed, but now uses a thumps up, thumbs down mechanism for users to rate shows. It uses this data for internal purposes but does not display it to viewers.

The American streamer has never really explained why it keeps the data behind closed doors, but its rivals Amazon Prime and Hulu use the same approach.

Tech news portal 36Kr cited one sector source as saying that iQiyi is probably adopting the new approach to bring in more cash.

Though axing video play data for users, the firm said it would bring in an open platform for its partners that will "share more abundant watching behavior not restricted to just views," and wants to help producers make better shows.

The insider said the new system will essentially serve as an advertising platform for content producers, giving them more accurate data than that supplied by third-party companies. By working together with iQiyi, the showmakers will be able to make more popular programs and the streaming host will generate more money, he added.