TikTok parent non-China revenues jump 60% despite regulatory pressures

The news: Despite regulatory challenges and a potential US ban, TikTok remains a driving force behind ByteDance's financial growth, contributing significantly to the company's $17 billion international (non-China) revenues in the first half of 2024, reports The Information.

• ByteDance saw non-China revenues rise nearly 60%, with TikTok accounting for a substantial share of these gains.
• Currently, 23% of ByteDance’s revenues come from outside China, up from 19% in the first half of 2023.

Why it matters: This international growth underlines TikTok’s importance to ByteDance, especially as its China-based apps like Douyin and Toutiao face lower ad demand due to economic slowdowns.

• TikTok’s expansion through initiatives like TikTok Shop, which is doubling down on creator livestreams, positions the platform to remain competitive in the US despite regulatory scrutiny.
• With TikTok’s pivotal role in short-form video and popularity among younger demographics, brands are unlikely to cut ad spending on the platform unless forced to.

State of play: The short-form video market is largely concentrated among TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, leaving limited alternatives for advertisers if TikTok were to exit.

• Brands are diversifying their ad spend by investing in Reels and Shorts, reducing their dependency on TikTok. Yet TikTok’s engagement metrics, ad performance, and reach make it difficult for advertisers to justify pulling out, especially without a compelling reason.
• TikTok’s “business as usual” messaging has reinforced brand confidence, presenting TikTok as a dominant force in short-form video that can’t be ignored.
• That approach has caused many advertisers to act as if the platform won’t leave the US. The two major presidential campaigns courted younger voters on the platform as well.

An evolving model: While advertising remains TikTok’s primary income source, the company is also expanding its ecommerce and livestream revenues, including sales during livestreamed shows where fans purchase virtual gifts.

ByteDance’s ongoing investment in TikTok, especially in ecommerce and AI, underscores its commitment to the platform, even as these expenses reduce its operating margin from 30% to 25%.

Zooming out: TikTok’s growth arrives as ByteDance nears Meta’s revenue scale; ByteDance reported $73 billion in the first half, compared with Meta’s $75.5 billion. ByteDance’s faster growth rate hints at potential parity in coming years.

Despite the revenue growth, ByteDance’s valuation sits around $230 billion in secondary markets, many times lower than Meta’s $1.4 trillion. This discrepancy likely reflects the regulatory challenges ByteDance faces in both China and the US, affecting IPO timelines and driving some investors to offload shares.

Our take: US legislation requires TikTok to cut ties with ByteDance in January to avoid bans, and the Supreme Court may soon hear TikTok's appeal. For now, TikTok’s approach to stability, strategic messaging, and innovative ad and ecommerce offerings has reinforced its critical role in ByteDance's global expansion strategy.