BabyFirst Heads to iQIYI Kids in China

First Media’s BabyFirst, which is distributed by HBO Asia in the region, has inked an exclusive multi-year deal for the channel’s content to launch on iQIYI Kids in China.

BabyFirst programming will become available on the new VOD service in HD and dual-language options: Mandarin or English audio with Chinese subtitles. All content will be curated from a library of more than 4,000 episodes. HBO Asia has also distributed the ad-free baby and toddler network in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines and Singapore.

“It’s a proud moment for us to see BabyFirst launch on China’s largest streaming platform,” said Guy Oranim, the CEO of BabyFirst. “iQIYI is a great partner that truly appreciates the importance of offering quality children’s content for all families and embraces our multicultural approach to babies’ education.

“We are also very delighted with our collaboration with HBO Asia, which is a wonderful partner and extremely helpful in getting BabyFirst new distribution opportunities in Asia Pacific since 2009.”

Jonathan Spink, the CEO of HBO Asia, added: “Our strong presence in 23 Asian territories and deep knowledge of the region puts HBO Asia in a unique position to connect our partners, benefitting 40 million families across China on the leading interactive platform of iQIYI with BabyFirst’s award-winning selection of localized early childhood education programs.

“This is an extension of HBO Asia’s brand promise to bring the best programming to audiences through the biggest operators in the region.”