Warner Bros. Entertainment will begin offering its new releases and catalog films to Chinese consumers this summer in a tieup with its Chinese partner, marking its advance into one of the world's most populous markets, the company announced on Tuesday.
The Chinese consumers will be able to access Warner Bros.' classic films including the latest releases like "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 1," as the Hollywood mogul launches a partnership through a distribution agreement with YOU On Demand Media, affiliated with YOU On Demand Holdings, Inc. in China.
YOU On Demand will operate under an exclusive 20-year joint venture with CCTV-6's pay TV arm China Home Cinema (CHC), to become the first national Pay-Per-View and Video On Demand platform in China, Warner Bros. said in a press release seen in Los Angeles.
Warner Bros. Entertainment will leverage YOU On Demand' s platform to provide a potential 200 million cable households access to the studio' s films on their television sets, the Hollywood firm said.
YOU On Demand anticipates their service will be available in three million cable TV homes in China by the end of this summer, which is comparable to the subscriber base of top cable operators in the United States.
"China is developing methods for consumers to view movies outside the cinema in a legitimate fashion," said Jim Wuthrich, President, International Home Video and Digital Distribution, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. "Through YOU On Demand's platform, millions of potential consumers will be able to view our films."
"Our distribution agreement with Warner Bros. marks a historic milestone for our company," said Shane McMahon, YOU On Demand's Chairman and CEO. "I'm excited for the millions of Chinese consumers that will be able to experience and enjoy the very best content that Hollywood has to offer through the YOU On Demand platform."
