iQIYI inks exclusive film output deal with 20th Century Fox


Details

Joseph O'Halloran

| 29 January 2016




Independently-operated Baidu subsidiary iQIYI has boosted considerably its online video slate in China after signing a multi-year film output agreement with 20th Century Fox.



The multi-year deal will give iQIYI new release digital transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) and exclusive first-run subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) rights to 20th Century Fox’s films in China. The deal will make iQIYI the first online platform in the country to offer TVOD and SVOD access to films such as The Martian and The Revenant and iQIYI customers will also have access to upcoming major releases from 20th Century Fox.

The deal marks a good run for iQIYI. In December 2015, it hit the ten million mark for paid subscribers to its Internet and mobile video services as of 1 December, double its base in June 2015. iQIYI boasts the largest amount of paid subscribers among China’s video streaming platforms, according to the 2015 Report on Development of China’s Internet Audio-Visual Media, written by China Netcasting Services Association, with the support of the China Internet Network Information Centre (CNNIC).

“We are thrilled to cooperate with 20th Century Fox. Over the last several years, online video platforms have become a major destination for subscribers to enjoy films,” said Gong Yu, founder and CEO of iQIYI. “This close collaboration between 20th Century Fox and iQIYI will significantly expand the content options for Chinese audiences. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with 20th Century Fox to satisfy the growing demand of Chinese users with diverse and premium content.”