New Digital Pay-TV Channel in China to Feature Discovery Content

BEIJING: Discovery Communications has inked a deal with China's WASU Digital TV Media Group to provide content for the new pay-TV subscription channel Qiu Suo. 

Discovery says it will server as a "channel and content consultant" for Qiu Suo, which launched March 16. The service, whose name translates as "quest for knowledge," targets adults 25 to 54 with factual and lifestyle shows. It is showcasing content from across the Discovery portfolio, including Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet, with a lineup that includes Man Vs. Wild, The Big Brain Theory, Tanked and Desert Car Kings.
 
“This content partnership with WASU complements Discovery’s 20-year history of providing high quality, nonfiction programming to the Chinese market,” said JB Perrette, the president of Discovery Networks International. “Through WASU’s new channel, Qiu Suo, Chinese viewers now have 24/7 access to the best of Discovery's factual and lifestyle programming. Discovery's content deal with WASU underscores our strategy of partnering with top media players and brands in key international markets to strengthen our leadership as the number one pay-TV programmer in the world.”
 
Arjan Hoekstra, president and managing director of Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, added: “Today marks a significant milestone for Discovery’s business in China. We will supply a carefully curated selection of Discovery programs to Qiu Suo. The new channel will introduce millions of Chinese viewers to some of Discovery’s best content and, building on the success of our existing business in China, paves the way for the next phase of growth for Discovery in one of the world’s fastest growing economies.”