Jack Ma’s tour of Hollywood this week is taking him to studio lots and an NBA game, but he isn’t just sight-seeing.
The executive chairman of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd., which also has film and video-on-demand businesses, is meeting with the heads of several Hollywood studios, including Sony Corp.s Sony Pictures Entertainment, Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures, 21st Century Fox Inc.’s Twentieth Century Fox, Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures, and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., according to knowledgeable people.
A spokesperson for Alibaba declined to comment.
At a meeting with Sony executives Tuesday, Ma discussed his desire to make more culturally significant films in China. He also raised the possibility of the two companies working together to co-finance upcoming releases, said a person familiar with the discussion.
Ma is expected to discuss similar topics, as well as his company’s VOD platform, with other studio executives. Alibaba’s VOD service can show movies even if they didn’t make it past China’s import quotas onto movie screens. In July, Lions Gate announced a deal to offer its movies via a new subscription streaming service on Alibaba set top boxes in China.
The Lions Gate-Alibaba venture is one of several VOD businesses in China already streaming Hollywood movies and television shows.
Ma attended a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game Tuesday night along with Ari Emmanuel and Patrick Whitesell, the co-chief executives of giant talent agency William Morris Endeavor Entertainment. The trio discussed possible ways for WME clients to work with Alibaba as well as business opportunities in China, said a knowledgeable person.
At the WSJ.D Live conference in Laguna Beach, Calif. on Monday evening, Ma said he would be looking for partnerships in the film business, as China is on track to surpass the U.S. as the world’s largest box office market.