Today, Warner Brothers became the first studio to offer films On Demand in the People’s Republic of China. YOU On Demand, China’s first national pay-per-view and Video On Demand platform, will distribute Warner Bros.’ films to an estimated 200 million cable households. The first Warner Bros. titles will be released this summer via YOU On Demand and Internet Protocol (IPTV) service.
The venture came about through a distribution agreement with CAV Warner Home Entertainment Co., Ltd., Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group’s joint venture in China, and YOU On Demand Holdings, Inc.’s PRC joint venture, YOU On Demand Media:
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. 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. 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.
Jim Wuthrich, President, International Home Video and Digital Distribution, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, said that China’s film consumers will now have an easier time getting popular films.
“China is developing methods for consumers to view movies outside the cinema in a legitimate fashion,” said Wuthrich. “Through YOU On Demand’s platform, millions of potential consumers will be able to view our films. They will make it easy for consumers to see the latest films including ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.'”
Shane McMahon, YOU On Demand’s Chairman and CEO reiterated this statement. “Our distribution agreement with Warner Bros. marks a historic milestone for our company,” said McMahon. “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.”
