Netflix signs deal with iQiyi in China to allow streaming of TV series
Foreign video providers have struggled to get a foothold in the Chinese market, with Chinese regulators shutting down Apple’s iTunes service in 2016
Shanghai — Netflix has agreed to provide television series to China-based iQiyi.com, the streaming-video service controlled by Baidu, gaining access to the only major film market that had eluded the world’s largest paid video service. The licensing deal covers television dramas, animated series, documentaries and variety shows, iQiyi said in an e-mailed statement on Wednesday. Popular Netflix original content including the latest seasons of Black Mirror and Stranger Things, will probably be streamed on the Chinese site simultaneously, according to the statement. The drama Mindhunter and animated comedy BoJack Horseman, will also be available on iQiyi. Netflix has been looking for a way to enter China to help build a global audience for its growing library of exclusive shows. Netflix expanded to 130 countries in 2016 and surpassed 100-million subscribers worldwide last weekend without the benefit of viewers in China, where government censors limit the types of content available. "All...
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