Chinese Censor Causes Followers of U.S. Shows to Resort to Pirated Copies

It is not only Korean drama such as "Descendants of the Sun" that Chinese viewers love to follow. They are also fans of U.S. shows which also help sharpen their English language skills.

However, because of the Great Firewall of China, they cannot enjoy simultaneous broadcast as viewers in other countries do through cable TV or video streaming. All shows pass through the watchful eyes of China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, except for pirated releases.

Global Times reported that a lot of Chinese viewers resorted to using those pirate resources to be up to date with their favorite U.S. shows such as “Game of Thrones” or “House of Cards.” However, a local Chinese streaming site, Sohu TV, offered foreign shows after it purchased the broadcast rights, making watching these American shows legal and on time.

One popular U.S. show that was shown in China, through Sohu TV, is “Lip Sync Battle,” which features celebrity contestants such as Mike Tyson.

However, some of the U.S. TV show fans are returning to the pirate sites because of the censor’s requirement that the streaming site submit the whole season of foreign shows for review before it could be streamed. The implication of such measuree is viewers could lag by up to one season, given the administration’s bureaucratic process.

For instance, FX’s “Fargo”” started to air its second season in the U.S. at the start of October 2015, but it hit Sohu TV only recently, causing a five-month gap. For some fans, the wait is unbearable, so they instead “cheat” by going to spoiler sites on the Internet.

Having Chinese subtitles on the shows helps local viewers better appreciate some punchlines that may be lost due to their limited facility in the English language. The subtitles are provided by fansub groups free of charge and available as early as just a few hours after the show is broadcast overseas.