Agreement allows streaming giant to make 1st big inroads in highly censored market
CBC News
Posted: Apr 25, 2017 2:33 PM ET
Last Updated: Apr 25, 2017 2:38 PM ET
Netflix is making its first big inroads in China through a licensing agreement with local streaming giant iQiyi.
The company confirmed the deal to CBC News. It will allow Netflix’s original shows to be available in China shortly after the content debuts on Netflix in other regions, Variety reports.
Netflix spokespeople added they weren’t able to share exactly when their content would make their Chinese debut as the deal was just newly struck.
China remained one of the few regions where Netflix hasn’t launched after the streaming service went global last year.
The country is notoriously difficult for western media companies to crack. Outside of a handful of media brands like Fox, MTV and Disney, strict censorship by the Chinese government has made it difficult for companies like Netflix to get a footing in the market.
Entire series have to be pre-approved by censors before they can make it onto Chinese streaming services, a restriction that has hampered Netflix from entering the market and one that remains unclear how iQIYI will get around.
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