BBC Worldwide has inked a program deal with Chinese video site Sohu.com to offer BBC factual and drama programs on a video-on-demand basis.
The deal is the latest in a series of deals by Sohu that bring legitimate content to the streaming video space in China, home to the world's largest Internet market with 591 million users.
“While BBC’s factual programs have steadily risen in popularity in China, U.K. drama has been experiencing a surge in popularity here,” said Pierre Cheung, vice president and general manager of BBC Worldwide China.
“With this new deal, viewers in China will have access to more highly acclaimed and award-winning BBC dramas, as well as stunning high definition documentaries.”
Drama titles in the deal include black comedy and psychological thriller Mad Dogs, the period crime show Ripper Street, the fantasy series Sinbad and legal drama Silk.
Among the factual shows in the deal are Earthflight, which offers a bird's-eye view of the world’s greatest natural spectacles; Frozen Planet, which looks at Earth's polar regions; and a program exploring how Britain came about, called The British.
Sohu chief executive Charles Zhang said the BBC has a reputation for providing high-quality programming.
“We are very happy to be able to provide BBC’s documentaries and dramas to our viewers on our online platform, and we are confident that the service will bring in more viewers to Sohu.com,” Zhang said.