Chinese cable TV giant WASU and Discovery Communications have struck a content agreement for Wasu’s new Qiu Suo pay TV channel.
Discovery will serve as a channel and content consultant to WASU for Qiu Suo (which translates to ‘quest for knowledge’), which launched on March 16 and features nonfiction entertainment from Discovery’s Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet.
Backed by the Hangzhou Culture, Radio and Television Group and the Zhejiang Radio and Television Group, WASU Digital TV Media Group claims China’s largest digital content library with millions of hours of digital content. It has full-service licenses for interactive TV, mobile TV and Internet TV and offers new-media services to China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom.
“Today marks a significant milestone for Discovery’s business in China,” said Arjan Hoekstra, President and m.d., Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific. “We will supply a carefully curated selection of Discovery programs to Qiu Suo. The new channel will introduce millions of Chinese viewers to some of Discovery’s best content and, building on the success of our existing business in China, paves the way for the next phase of growth for Discovery in one of the world’s fastest growing economies.”
Discovery clarified that the new arrangement with WASU is “complementary to existing deals” in China and does not compromise other supply arrangements.