SARFT’s latest move to enforce regulations on Internet TV are indicative of its desire to strengthen management over video websites. (Photo : Wikipedia)
China has recently released new online video rules in reviewing and giving regulatory approval to foreign TV shows.
Hang Bingbin reported that because of this changing scenario, the local industry may stand to gain as stated by industry experts.
According to the regulations, new seasons will require the approval of the sector's lead regulator, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. The rules also require foreign series to be submitted to the administration with their Chinese subtitles.
The new rules have resulted in the removal of several U.S. television serials in China's prime video streaming platforms. These include "Empire," "Agent Carter" and "Shameless," which were pulled out from LeTV.com and Sohu.com.
For the said sites, however, newly licensed serials like "Girls" and "Veep" are also now available for daily viewing. The HBO productions, which premiered in 2012 in the U.S., are also available on Tencent Video.
In 2014, Tencent Video revealed that it is set to exclusively stream 10 HBO productions this year onward. The deal will bring the newest seasons of the hit series "Game of Thrones" and "True Detective" on the Chinese streaming site.
Tencent Video is yet to disclose the other titles of the foreign series lined up for this year.
Seasons that have run into this year should be registered at the administration before the end of March. Experts say that this is an indication of an uncertain future for a number of foreign series.
China's video streaming sites were instructed to limit foreign shows to only 30 percent of their overall content.
Feng Jun, a senior analyst from the entertainment industry consultancy EntGroup, said that scenes with "certain levels of violence and sex will surely be cut during official examination."
Online viewers are now worried whether their favorite foreign series will still reappear on video sites.
For the last few years, shows that cannot enter the traditional media have turned to online streaming platforms to reach the Chinese audience. The new online video rules are seen as strict provisions that will serve as yet another barrier for the foreign shows' goal of strengthening their Chinese fanbase.
