TVF International Pacts with Chinese Streamers

TVF International has partnered with three major Chinese online platforms, iQiyi, Bili Bili and BesTV, to launch hundreds of hours of factual programming in the country.

iQiyi, one of the world’s largest VOD platforms, has picked up streaming rights in the region for two premium China-focused titles: China Love (1x 90 min.), produced by Australia-based Media Stockade for ABC Australia, is a deep dive into love in contemporary China through its booming pre-wedding photography industry, and China Wild (5×50 min.), produced by CICC and Meridian Line Films, is a landmark wildlife series showcasing the country’s five largest habitats. The latest deal builds on iQiyi’s ongoing partnership with TVF International, with the platform recently licensing a further 121 hours of programming.

Meanwhile, the video sharing and VOD platform Bili Bili licensed over 300 hours of programming from TVF through an ongoing output deal, with the latest package including science and tech- focused programming, such as Algorithms: How They Rule Our World from Mediacorp, the wildlife series Dog’s Best Friend from Summerhill Entertainment and Asia-focused John Torode’s Asia from Tin Roof Media.

Shanghai Media Group-owned giant BesTV picked up more than 50 hours of programming, including several 4K titles, such as the aerial travel show Aerial Asia from Mediacorp, the space-exploration special The World’s Most Powerful Telescopes from producer Martin Hans Schmitt and the blue-chip David Attenborough wildlife series Wild City from Beach House Pictures.

TVF International’s China lead, Julian Chou-Lambert, who brokered the deals, commented: “China’s online giants are becoming increasingly picky about the kind of content they select, with an ever-greater focus on premium titles that resonate with their audiences. For both China Love and China Wild, TVF got involved at an early stage, acting as a script consultant to ensure that these unique programs would work for both international and Chinese audiences. This kind of in-depth involvement is crucial to maximize distribution for premium titles that have the potential to go ‘glocal.’”

Chou-Lambert added: “Despite ongoing concerns about government quotas on foreign-produced programs, we are finding good traction in the territory with 4K programming, as well as topics which are either general enough to be accessible such as space and blue-chip wildlife, or near enough to resonate including Asian-produced programming. Our longstanding partnerships with both Chinese and regional Asian production houses have been key in ensuring we maintain a strong presence within the Great Firewall, and we have some exciting upcoming China-focused co-productions in the works.”