爱奇艺将于2018年在美国IPO 估值超80亿美元
Baidu Inc's iQiyi is targeting a US initial public offering as soon as in 2018 that could value China's most popular streaming video service at more than $8 billion, two people familiar with the matter say. The company controlled by search giant Baidu is about to kick off negotiations with banks and deal arrangers and is shooting for a valuation of as much as $10 billion, the people said. Baidu wants to continue holding a controlling stake in iQiyi upon the IPO via dual-class shares. The IPO process, however, is in its early stages and the final valuation could change. IQiyi, the only Chinese service that licenses shows from Netflix Inc, needs to build up its war chest as it battles rival platforms run by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd. Baidu, which is also investing heavily in artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles, needs to buy and create more content to sustain its lead among online video platforms, based on time spent. At $10 billion, iQiyi will be valued at a fraction of Netflix's but surpass listed Chinese rival Leshi Internet Information And Technology Corp. IQiyi said in June it's in talks to share more data and revenue with partners, including Alphabet Inc's Google, to bolster its platform. |