CBI member, BBC Studios has announced that it has signed an agreement with the Chinese online streaming platform, Youku, which will see 430 hours of original content made available online.
Under an extended partnership between BBC Studios and Youku, subscribers of the Chinese streaming platform will be able to watch BBC-produced TV series, such as all four seasons of Sherlock, as well as a number of episodes of Good Omens, Sanditon, Doctor Who and Luther. Some of these titles will air exclusively in mainland China through Youku.
Phil Hardman, SVP of commercial operations and strategy in Asia at BBC Studios, said: “It is great to see our relationship with Youku going from strength to strength with this agreement to show more quality British contemporary and classic drama in China. […] We look forward to contributing to the prosperity of China’s developing television industry through collaboration with local players, while also helping them to explore overseas markets and to tell Chinese stories around the world.”
The new agreement adds more than 80 hours’ worth of content to Youku, and is part of the platform’s expanded efforts to meet viewer demand for British dramas. In 2014, the third season of detective drama Sherlock, starring British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, reached 14.5 million views in just two weeks of airing on Youku. The platform now holds extended licensing rights to all four seasons of the show.
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