短剧火爆但难赚钱？掌阅科技上市以来首次年度亏损

Core Viewpoint - The short drama sector is thriving, but rising promotional costs are leading to a situation where top companies are experiencing "increased revenue without increased profit" [1] Group 1: Company Performance - Zhangyue Technology reported its first annual loss since its IPO in 2017, with an expected net profit attributable to shareholders being negative for 2025 [1] - The company has incurred a cumulative loss of 217 million yuan in the first three quarters of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 488.26% [1] - Despite a positive trend of "revenue growth and narrowing losses" in the third quarter, the overall profitability remains under pressure due to high short drama investment [1][6] Group 2: Business Transformation - Established in 2008, Zhangyue Technology initially focused on digital reading services and later shifted its focus to short dramas as a new growth avenue [2] - The company has transitioned from hardware sales, which were sold off in 2019 due to losses, to a focus on short dramas and derivative businesses [2] - In 2023, derivative businesses began to replace copyright products as the new growth driver, indicating a significant shift in revenue sources [6] Group 3: Revenue and Cost Structure - In 2024, digital reading revenue decreased by 25.91%, while short drama and derivative businesses surged by 189.99% to 776 million yuan, contributing to 30% of total revenue [7] - For the first half of 2025, Zhangyue Technology achieved a revenue of 1.526 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.58%, with short drama revenue reaching 838 million yuan, up 149.09% [7] - Sales expenses for the first three quarters of 2025 totaled 1.676 billion yuan, accounting for 68.1% of revenue, a 10 percentage point increase from 2024 [8] Group 4: Future Outlook - The company plans to optimize domestic short drama operations while focusing on overseas expansion and enhancing the quality and profitability of projects [8] - Zhangyue Technology is also exploring AI-related hardware, indicating a potential diversification of its business model [9] - The stock price has seen a significant increase of over 40% in the past week, reflecting market interest despite a 60% decline from its IPO peak [9]