IPTV: Pipe Dream No More
Some speculators suggest that the market for Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) in China will get a jump-start by the end of this year. While the prospects of the market have attracted many investors, the obstacles in terms of the uncertainty of government regulations and widespread piracy may be subject to considerable risk of investment. This article from the EuroBiz Magazine has insightful analysis regarding the current situation and future growth of the Chinese IPTV market.
Steady Growth In China’s Online Gaming Market Over
It looks like there can’t be enough excitement about the Chinese online gaming industry. Investors appear to be quite optimistic about its development potential. Here’s yet another article from Singapore’s Computerworld that presents detailed data about the market, including a five-year forecast of market revenue and a list of top ten most popular online games in China.
Two New Film Awards In China
Golden Rooster and Hundred Flower have traditionally been the two major film awards in China that are equivalent to the Oscars in the United States. Two new film awards, namely the Chinese Film Directors’ Guild Awards and China Film Billboard Awards have recently been established to challenge the old ones. According to China Economic Net, while industry observers cast doubt on whether film awards in China are becoming overly sufficient, some filmmakers take these as great opportunities for good films and quality filmmakers to emerge.
China Freezes Film, TV Co-Production
Following its lift of the ban on foreign investment in the film and television industries, the Chinese FCC, State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), has started to show concerns and hesitation. Asia Media reports that the state industry regulator has ceased new approvals of joint ventures in film and TV production, fearing that these joint venture might set too much pressure on the industry’s ongoing reforms. While this incident doesn’t seem significant enough to prevent the opening up of the Chinese media industry in a long run, it certainly plays a role in cooling down the heat and enthusiasm among existing and potential investors in the market.
Filling The Content Gap
Encouraged by China’s recently loosened policy to allow foreign investment in television production, international media giants have been rather active in this arena. With the digital technology being widely adopted in the Chinese TV industry, many newly established digital TV channels are in desperate need of program content. In this article from China International Business, you will see details of the cooperation between HBO Asia and China Central Television’s subscription-only channel First Theater, as well as how major global media corporations such as Time Warner and Viacom are approaching the Chinese TV market.