Drama sparks online sales boom

To enable viewers to do shopping while watching, iQiyi has embedded shopping links into videos so that consumers can get what they want with a simple click of the mouse.

Wang Xiangjun, chief management officer at iQiyi, said: "E-commerce is an important part of our efforts to monetize intellectual properties. We will continue expanding our presence in e-tailing by selling products used in popular entertainment shows."

Chinese video sites are suffering from financial losses as they are paying big checks to purchase quality content.

iQiyi's arch rival Youku Tudou Inc is also teaming up with its parent company Alibaba Group Holding Ltd to experiment on video-based e-commerce, so as to find new revenue sources beyond advertising and membership fees.

Pang Yiming, a senior analyst at Beijing-based Internet consultancy Analysys International, said South Korean dramas are of great and unwavering appeal to Chinese female consumers.

"Whenever there is a megahit Korean drama, there is always a wave of Korean beauty and fashion boom."

According to Pang, video-streaming sites are encouraging consumers to do impulse buying.

"Traditionally, it takes multiple steps for viewers to buy the same products used by actors. They need to search the item on shopping platforms, browse countless pictures and compare their prices.