Tencent bets big on WeChat Channels in push to build its own TikTok

HONG KONG: On a hot summer’s day last year, the 90’s boy band Backstreet Boys clambered on to a stage in Pennsylvania and belted out hits as 44 million viewers tuned in from thousands of miles away for the online concert hosted by China’s WeChat Channels.

The show is just one of many events held by WeChat owner Tencent to promote the app’s short-video platform – described by the tech giant’s founder Pony Ma as “the hope of the company”.