China


Netflix acquires Chinese animated series ‘Scissor Seven’

Netflix has added to its growing animation offer, acquiring Chinese animated series Scissor Seven. The streamer has taken global rights to 24×14-min episodes, except for China. Scissor Seven is produced by Beijing-based AHA Entertainment, and is distributed by Ankama through its Planet Nemo by Ankama catalogue for kids and family content. Billed as a heart-warming […]

BBC Studios’ Asia chief steps down

BBC Studios’ exec VP of Asia David Weiland (pictured) is stepping down from his position to take on a new globally-facing role focused on the company’s working culture. Weiland is returning to the UK to take up the newly created position of exec VP of engagement for BBC Studios, having spent five years overseeing operations […]

China’s iQiyi poised to surpass six broadcasters in content spend

Chinese digital giant iQiyi, one of the territory’s three major subscription VOD services alongside Tencent Video and Youku, is poised to overtake spending on content by China’s top six broadcaster groups combined, according to new research from Ampere Analysis. According to Ampere, iQiyi spent RMB21.1bn ($3.13bn) on content in 2018, nearly matching the total content […]

China’s BesTV to host BBC Earth branded space

BBC Studios is to launch a BBC Earth branded space on BestTV in China, which boasts 46m subscribers across the territory. BesTV is a Chinese pay-TV service provider placed across 31 cities in China, and a subsidiary of Shanghai Media Group. From 1 April 2019, BesTV subscribers will be able to access premium BBC Earth […]

Pact sets legal framework for UK-China co-pros

Pact, the UK producers trade association, has established a new legal framework designed to protect the sharing of confidential ideas and intellectual property between UK-Chinese co-production partners. The new framework is designed to foster deeper collaboration between British and Chinese content producers and stimulate trade by protecting and promoting the co-creation of ideas. Pact’s new […]

Nordic noir heads to China

Finnish telco Elisa enters the ring as one of the first international players looking East for its next streaming play. Manori Ravindran reports. Nordic noir is poised to make a substantial move in the under-served Chinese market via a dedicated platform launched by Finnish telco Elisa – a play that will open up co-production opportunities […]

Netflix’s Sarandos: “We don’t have a China strategy”

Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos said that the streamer is unlikely to look to expand business in China, during the UBS 46thAnnual Global Media and Communications Conference. Sarandos said that work with the nation has been, for the most part, “frustrating distraction”, and that it will not be looking to invest its time there unless […]

Made with China: is it time to transcend the quota narrative?

International distributors are increasingly finding new ways of navigating the mixed messages shrouding China’s ominous content quotas and censorship rules. Andy Fry investigates. In recent times, international content companies have been confronted with two conflicting narratives when it comes to China. On the one hand, the country has been pitched as a fast-growing market with […]

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