Ellen is first US talker in China

Online video service Sohu Video has become the first Chinese platform to pick up a US-produced talk show.

The eleventh season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show is heading to Sohu.com’s online platform following a deal with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution.

Episodes will be subtitled in Chinese and deliver within 48 hours of their original US broadcast. They will then remain on Sohu Video until an undefined licence period ends.

“Sohu offers Chinese internet users a diversified portfolio of top quality content, with a wide coverage of hot TV dramas, animation and now US talk shows,” said Sohu.com CEO and chairman Charles Zhang. “The Ellen DeGeneres Show is one of the most well-known talk shows in the US, and we believe it could also have strong appeal and relevance with the Chinese audience.”

In the US, the eleventh season of the syndicated Ellen has scored the series’ highest ratings and is ranked the number one daytime talk show for women aged 25-54, according to Warner Bros.