A Chat with "Mang Haowan": Can a Cross-Industry Collaboration Between Two Major Players Disrupt the Niche Market?

A major announcement in the mini-games sector has recently drawn widespread attention within the industry: Mango TV has entered into a strategic partnership with Shengqu Games, a subsidiary of Century Huatong, to significantly enhance the "Mang Haowan" mini-games platform. The collaboration will span multiple dimensions, including content development, user engagement, product acquisition, monetization, and technological innovation.

As one of China’s leading video platforms, Mango TV’s reputation speaks for itself. With its exclusive content library and continuously evolving in-house production capabilities, it has amassed a massive user base and has long been a top choice for watching dramas and variety shows.However, when it comes to its strategy in the gaming market, Mango TV’s past efforts have largely focused on IP partnerships—deriving numerous game products through exclusive IP licensing for shows such as *Detective Detective*, *Chinese Restaurant*, and *Braving the Thorns*. Recently, the mini-game *The Good Life*, which has surged to the top of the charts, has also sparked widespread attention and discussion within the industry.

Who would have thought that this steadily profitable long-form video platform—ranked among the top three in the industry—would choose to enter the mini-games market and launch a brand-new platform called “Mang Haowan”? Behind this move, what impact will the collaboration between Mango TV and Shengqu Games have on “Mang Haowan”? What new opportunities will it bring to the market? It’s hard not to be curious about these questions.So, with these questions in mind, Tea House sat down for an in-depth chat with the head of operations at Mang Haowan.

01

Mang Haowan: A Unique Mini-Game Platform

After briefly trying it out, I found that “Mango Fun” stands out from most other casual gaming platforms on the market—it isn’t a standalone “new module,” but rather is deeply integrated into the Mango TV user experience. Users can tap to play anytime, whether they’re taking a break from watching a show or waiting for an ad, allowing them to play while they watch. Leveraging the strengths and unique features of a long-form video platform, “Mango Fun” is clearly charting a distinct path in the market.

Game Teahouse: What is the specific positioning of the "Mang Haowan" platform? Where can users access it?

Mango Fun: Positioned as an “immersive casual gaming platform within the Mango TV ecosystem,” Mango Fun aims to provide users with mini-game experiences deeply integrated into long-form video content. Currently, the platform is accessible within the Mango TV app; users can swipe down to the “2nd Floor” to enter directly. Moving forward, the platform will refine its operations across the entire gaming journey by aligning with users’ viewing paths.

Game Tea House: What is the current size of Mango TV’s active user base, and what does the user demographic look like? How does this support the “Mang Haowan” platform?

Mango Fun: Mango TV has over 73.31 million subscribers, with average monthly active users (MAU) growing by approximately 11.08% year-over-year from January to September this year (QM data), firmly securing its position among the top three long-form video platforms.In terms of user demographics, 90% of users were born in the 1990s, and 70% were female. These two groups demonstrate high receptivity to light, casual, and highly interactive content, along with a stronger willingness to spend, providing the "Mango Fun" platform with a precise and vast user base.

Game Tea House: Who is responsible for building the platform? How long did it take from launch to the testing and trial operation phase?

Mango Fun: "Mango Fun" is a mini-game platform under Mango TV, developed and launched by Mango TV. The project began preparations in the middle of this year, and after several months of product design and technical development, it has now entered the testing and trial operation phase.

Game Tea House: Specifically, in which user scenarios on Mango TV will the mini-game experience be implemented? Could you provide some examples?

Mango Fun: Mini-game experiences will be deeply integrated into Mango TV’s all-scenario user journey, for example:

• Between episodes of long-form video content: We’ll push lightweight mini-games to users during the gaps between updates of TV series and variety shows to keep them entertained while they wait;

• Interactive variety show segments: We have also developed mini-games modeled after S+ rated variety shows such as *Sailing Through the Waves* and *Braving the Thorns*, allowing users to “participate” in the challenges through these mini-games while watching the shows, thereby enhancing their enjoyment of the programs;

• Video loading/ad breaks: During these periods, we can also enhance the user experience while they wait by offering simple “load-and-play” mini-games.

Game Teahouse: Given that Mango TV focuses on long-form video content, will the addition of short, casual games disrupt the user’s viewing experience? What design choices has the team made to balance “content viewing” and “game interaction”?

Mang Haowan: We always prioritize "not compromising the core viewing experience" and have taken multiple factors into account to achieve a balanced design:

• Non-mandatory activation: The mini-game entry point is natively integrated into the video-on-demand environment in the form of a "mini-controller," allowing users to choose whether to play the game:

• Context-based adaptation: Tailored to users’ spare moments, with movie-watching and playing matching mini-games complementing each other

• Content Integration: Some games are linked to the TV shows, movies, or variety shows currently being watched. For example, after finishing an episode, users can unlock a mini-game based on the same storyline, creating a natural transition from viewing to interaction rather than a forced, disjointed overlay of experiences.

Game Tea House: Given that users of mini-games today have higher expectations regarding graphics, smoothness, and other aspects of the user experience, what technical preparations has your team made? Do you have any plans to incorporate AI technology into mini-game development or platform operations?

Mang Haowan: From a technical perspective, we have focused our efforts on lightweight adaptation and performance optimization to ensure that mini-games run smoothly across different device models while maintaining high-quality visuals. We have also incorporated AI technology into our plans: on the development side, we will use AI to assist in generating game assets and improve R&D efficiency; on the operations side, we will leverage AI to analyze user behavior data and deliver personalized game recommendations, enabling users with diverse preferences to quickly find products that interest them.

Game Teahouse: In your opinion, what are the core strengths and unique features of "Mang Haowan" compared to mainstream casual gaming platforms on the market?

Mango Fun: Its core strengths lie in the deep integration of "long-form video and mini-games" and the backing of Mango TV’s IPs. For example, users can trigger interactive games based on the shows they’re watching, enabling them to "watch and play at the same time." Additionally, the platform will launch "exclusive game benefits for members" to enhance member retention and user experience.

Game Teahouse: In the long term, what role do you hope the "Mang Haowan" platform will play? Do you have specific goals for user base or market share?

Mango Fun: Our long-term goal is to establish "Mango Fun" as a benchmark platform for the "long-form video + gaming" integrated ecosystem, serving as an indispensable interactive experience for Mango TV users while exploring new commercialization pathways for "content + gaming." In terms of user scale, we expect to surpass 10 million monthly active users within the next 1–2 years, positioning ourselves as a distinctive and innovative platform in the mini-games sector.In terms of market share, we aim to secure a leading position in the vertical female-oriented and IP-collaboration mini-game sectors.

02

Mango TV + Shengqu Games: An Unexpected Powerhouse Partnership

This cross-industry collaboration may seem unexpected, but it actually makes perfect sense.

After all, the growth momentum of the mini-games sector in recent years has indeed been remarkable. According to data released by the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, in 2024, the domestic mini-games market revenue surged from 20 billion yuan in 2023 to 39.836 billion yuan, nearly doubling year-over-year;In the first half of 2025, actual sales revenue rose by another 40.2% year-over-year, reaching 23.276 billion yuan. Furthermore, the association forecasts that the mini-game market size may exceed 60 billion yuan in 2025, while the Aurora Moon Fox Data Research Institute even believes this figure could surpass 70 billion yuan. At a time when the global gaming market is mired in a battle for existing users, such development opportunities are naturally highly attractive.

Furthermore, Shengqu Games has been deeply rooted in the gaming industry for 26 years, possessing end-to-end capabilities spanning game development, publishing, and operations, and has accumulated significant technical expertise in creating AI-native film and television-based games. As a leading domestic video platform, Mango TV’s rich portfolio of exclusive IPs serves as a valuable resource for developing more high-quality games, and its base of over 73.31 million active members represents a scarce pool of active traffic in the casual gaming market.With their complementary strengths, the two parties hit it off immediately in pursuit of a shared development goal, and everything fell into place naturally.

Game Tea House: Cross-industry collaborations between game developers and content platforms are not common. What was the main catalyst for this strategic partnership between the two parties?

Manghaowan: The key lies in complementary strengths and a shared vision for breaking into new markets. Shengqu Games brings years of deep experience in the gaming industry, possessing end-to-end capabilities spanning from development to operations. The company has already demonstrated its ability to adapt IPs for mini-games through practical implementation and continues to invest in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Both parties are optimistic about the future potential of the mini-game sector and hope to achieve collaborative innovation in this emerging field through resource integration, jointly tapping into new market opportunities.

"Bloodline," a mini-game developed by Shengqu Games, rose to the top of WeChat's mini-game sales charts earlier this year.

Game Tea House: In this strategic partnership, what roles will each party play? How will responsibilities be divided in key areas such as content development, platform development, and user operations?

Mang Haowan: Our partnership model is based on “close collaboration and leveraging each other’s strengths.” Shengqu Games is primarily responsible for building the content ecosystem, including identifying and onboarding high-quality content providers and selecting mini-game products that suit the platform’s users, while also playing an active role in the joint operation of the “Mang Haowan” platform. Mango TV, meanwhile, focuses on platform infrastructure and user engagement, handling tasks such as platform development and core user operations to ensure a seamless integration between the platform experience and its own ecosystem.

Game Teahouse: Will you open up the onboarding process to more external game developers in the future? If so, what types of partnership models and support will you offer?

Mang Haowan: Yes, once we’ve completed the initial integration phase and refined the platform’s features, we plan to open up partnership channels to the entire industry. Our partnership model will be highly flexible, covering not only the integration of established game products but also warmly welcoming innovative projects from startup teams. We will provide developers with core support, including traffic promotion, data insights, and opportunities for IP collaborations, to jointly build a healthy ecosystem for mini-games.

Game Teahouse: What types of mini-games do you expect will be most popular among your platform’s users?

Mango Fun: The current user base of the Mango Fun platform is predominantly female, which aligns closely with the core user profile in the casual gaming sector, giving it a natural advantage in terms of user base. At the same time, backed by Mango TV’s extensive membership system, platform users have developed a mature understanding of paid services and a strong willingness to spend, providing solid support for the commercial monetization of high-quality casual games.At the same time, we will prioritize the development of customized mini-games that integrate with Mango TV’s exclusive film, television, and variety show IPs to strengthen the platform’s unique competitive edge. We maintain an open attitude toward all types of mini-game products.

Current interface of the "Mang Haowan" platform

Game Tea House: We understand that both parties have plans to adapt film, television, and variety show IPs into games. How will this work proceed? What specific IP development plans are currently in place?

Mango Fun: IP-based game development is a key focus of our collaboration, and we will adopt a "joint co-creation" model: Shengqu will lead game development and operations, while Mango TV will provide IP licensing and content integration support. We are currently advancing preparations for the game adaptation of several top-tier IPs, such as developing customized interactive mini-games based on Mango TV’s popular variety shows and exclusive film and television IPs. Specific projects will be officially announced at the appropriate time, so please stay tuned.In the future, the two parties may also expand into “joint IP investment and co-creation” to explore more content formats.

Conclusion

In summary, the partnership between Mango TV and Shengqu Games is by no means a simple “1+1” collaboration, nor is it a blind attempt to follow trends; rather, it is an inevitable choice that aligns with broader market trends and the shared objectives of both parties. Moreover, they are fully prepared to break down industry barriers through the development of the “Manghaowan” platform, moving forward together in the same direction under a model of “complementary strengths and ecosystem co-creation.”Teahouse believes that this will not only generate significant commercial benefits for both parties but is also expected to break the current deadlock of homogenization in the mini-game market and reshape the competitive landscape of the mini-game sector.

In the future, as “Mang Haowan” continues to grow, Shengqu Games will be able to leverage the platform’s strengths to implement its own R&D, operational, and technological capabilities, effectively expanding its market share in the mini-games sector and opening up a new growth trajectory for its parent company.Mango TV, meanwhile, will leverage its “long-form video + mini-games” model to elevate its exclusive IPs from “content consumption” to “interactive experiences,” thereby broadening its monetization pathways. At the same time, it can use gaming scenarios to engage users and boost retention, finding a competitive edge in the long-form video platform market and solidifying its leading position.

At the same time, “Mang Haowan” has expanded users’ leisure options. Interactive games derived from TV shows and variety programs have shifted users from “passive viewing” to “active play,” not only extending the time spent engaging with IPs and deepening emotional connections but also delivering an immersive entertainment experience.More importantly, the launch of “Mang Haowan” has injected new possibilities into the mini-game sector. At a time when the “head effect” is becoming increasingly pronounced on mainstream mini-game platforms and the survival space for small and medium-sized developers is being squeezed, this platform—leveraging its foundation as a long-form video content platform—provides the industry with a brand-new breeding ground for growth. The fresh traffic and unique scenarios here will empower more developers to explore innovative approaches and break through growth bottlenecks.

When leading game developers partner with top-tier content platforms, and when high-quality video content and interactive gaming converge, we have every reason to believe that “Mang Haowan” will emerge as a game-changer, injecting fresh vitality into the industry and guiding it toward a future full of possibilities through mutual growth and prosperity!