BBC Studios Signs China Co-Pro Deal for Seven Worlds, One Planet

June 6, 2019 Alison Skilton

BBC Studios has entered into a co-production agreement with China Media Group CCTV9 and Tencent Penguin Pictures for its landmark natural-history series Seven Worlds, One Planet.

The series is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production, co-produced with BBC America, Tencent Penguin Pictures, ZDF, France Télévisions and China Media Group CCTV9. It will broadcast in China simultaneously on both CCTV and Tencent later this year.

Seven Worlds, One Planet will reveal how each distinct continent has shaped the unique wildlife found there. The series celebrates the diversity of animal life on each continent, but also the many challenges faced by animals in a modern world dominated by humanity.

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“We’ve been partnering with BBC Studios for some time to bring premium documentaries to our audiences in China,” says Shilun SHI, CCTV9’s director of programming. “Our cooperation can be dated back as early as 2008 when Wild China was first co-produced between the two broadcasters. Over the years, we have been co-producing landmarks including Africa, Blue Planet II and Dynasties. We are looking forward to deepening our working relationship with BBC Studios on more fruitful and successful projects and believe it will help benefit the whole industry.”

Lexian Zhu, deputy director of the documentary content management center at Tencent Video, commented: “BBC Studios is the premium documentary content provider in the world and our partnership in co-production reflects Chinese audiences’ interest in top-level productions. We will continue to work with BBC Studios to bring best-in-class programs to digital viewers in China.”

David Weiland, executive VP for Asia at BBC Studios, said, “We are excited to extend our long-standing and mutually beneficial relationships with CCTV and Tencent. By partnering with companies of this caliber we are able to bring the BBC’s world-class natural history to Chinese audiences and invest in the next generation of landmark natural history programs.”