Time Warner In Talks For China TV Tie-Ups
Although the government’s recent cool-down in the approvals of new TV production joint ventures casts some doubts among investors on how far they can go in the Chinese media market, the general trend of market opening is still visible. Global media corporations seem to be rather hopeful in their negotiations with major Chinese broadcasters about opportunities of mutually beneficial cooperations. Based on Yahoo News, most of these media giants are seeking a long-term return of investment.
China’s Pay-TV Licensing Elicits Competition
Along with the speedy developments in other burgeoning sectors (i.e., IPTV, digital cinemas, etc.) that shape up the new landscape of the Chinese media industry, the pay-TV market has recently opened up for competition. Media operators would need to adjust their existing approaches and/or generate new strategies to become successful players on this new platform. The Yankee Group has an article that contains in-depth analysis of the pay-TV market in China, followed by strategic recommendations for all related parties.
IPTV License Opens Door For Broadcasters, Telecom
Numerous discussions have been going on among Chinese media practitioners about the exciting prospects of IPTV, which allows users to enjoy a variety of TV broadcasting services through computers, TV sets, and even cell phones. Following China’s recent grant of an IPTV license to the Shanghai Media Group, broadcasters and telecom operators have demonstrated much eagerness in anticipating their future shares in the market. According to Xinhua News Agency, the trend of furthur market opening seems inevitable.
“China now has about 320 million mobile phone users, 100 millioncable TV subscribers, and nearly 23 million broadband Internet users. Analysts expect the country’s broadband users to hit the 40 million mark this year.”
China Becomes World’s 3rd Largest Filmmaker
Following the success of several Chinese movies (i.e. Hero, House of Flying Daggers) in the international market, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to learn that China’s film production is catching up with that of America and India. Although foreign film companies are not yet allowed to freely distribute their movies, they can now find more and better opportunities in film co-productions as supported by more relaxed policies. Based on this news story from Xinhua News Agency, due to the growing demand, many overseas investors have also been attracted to the construction of cinemas in addition to their involvement in production.
China Shapes Up For IPTV Boom
With increasingly deeper broadband penetration, investors have beecome quite enthused about the prospects of the Chinese IPTV market. Online service providers, along with telecommunication companies and even related equipment manufacturers, all seem to beexcited about upcoming opportunities in this industry. This article from Light Reading tells an interesting story about the diggers of the IPTV goldmine in China.