How iQIYI made ‘Running Man Thailand’ a brand integration powerhouse

Streaming platform iQIYI is doubling down on branded entertainment in Southeast Asia following the success of its original variety series Running Man Thailand.

The Thai adaptation of the long-running South Korean variety franchise generated 6.85 billion cross-platform impressions globally during its inaugural season. Additionally, it wrapped its first season with more than 390 million online views and over 10 million digital engagements, according to iQIYI.

The platform also claimed the show ranked as its top variety programme globally in 2026 by views, viewers and watch time.

Beyond viewership numbers, the series has emerged as a major brand integration vehicle for advertisers looking to tap into fandom-driven entertainment ecosystems across the region. Some of the brands include OPPO, GAC AION, Skechers, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Farmhouse, MAMA, Cremo and Bento. The brands participated in the show through in-programme integrations, co-campaigns and offline activations such as “The running billboard”.

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The platform added that the series became its number one variety show in Thailand for new user acquisition, underscoring how original entertainment formats are increasingly being used to grow platform audiences while attracting advertisers seeking deeper consumer engagement.

Running Man Thailand also trended weekly in more than 10 countries and ranked as Thailand’s top searched variety programme on Google Trends in 2026, according to iQIYI.

Evangeline Song, general manager of commercial and strategic partnerships for APAC and the Middle East at iQIYI, said the format’s blend of humour, celebrity influence and immersive challenges helped position it as a high-impact sponsorship platform.

“Running Man Thailand has quickly positioned itself as a high-impact variety format in Thailand, combining mass entertainment appeal with strong brand integration potential,” said Song. Its success points to a wider shift among streaming platforms towards turning original content into full-scale marketing ecosystems, where advertiser integrations extend beyond traditional pre-roll advertising into offline activations, branded challenges and social amplification.

Furthermore, the programme featured a cast of Thai celebrities including Oat Pramote, Jeff Satur, Ink Waruntorn, Tay Tawan Vihokratan, NuNew Chawarin Perdpiriyawong, Pongsatorn Jongwilas and Daou Pittaya. This demonstrates the potential of potential of localised premium content to drive both audience engagement and regional scale, said Dinesh Ratnam, senior managing director, Southeast Asia at iQIYI.

“Through the Thai adaptation of the iconic ‘Running Man’ IP, iQIYI has also demonstrated strong capabilities in premium IP collaboration, localised content development, and cross-border production execution together with SBS Studio Prism,” he added.

This comes as demand for Asian entertainment content continues to grow. Earlier this year, iQIYI said its international business in Indonesia had quintupled paid subscribers while nearly doubling monthly active users, driven by the popularity of Chinese dramas, microdramas and local distribution partnerships. According to Media Partners Asia, the platform has also become Indonesia’s fourth-largest OTT platform by monthly active users.

The company has since deepened collaborations with Indonesian partners Telkomsel and Vision+, while preparing to launch its first slate of Indonesian original productions in 2026. It has also been ramping up fan engagement efforts through offline events under its “iQIYI Starship Project”, featuring Chinese actors Chen Zheyuan and Esther Yu in Jakarta.

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