SPTI cracks China's domestic TV market

Hong Kong - Sony Pictures Television International has signed Ford and Sony Electronics as major brand sponsors for its first TV drama series to air on China's state broadcaster CCTV8 from late September.

From 22 September, SPTI and its China joint venture partner China Film Group will launch the 24-episode, one-hour drama series called The Game to a potential audience in the hundreds of millions.

The TV series has adopted a form of branded entertainment and will integrate several Ford vehicles into the show's content.

The news, however, is especially significant for SPTI, which is the only US media company to hold a fully licensed and operational joint venture to create TV and film for China's domestic market.

Under that joint venture, SPTI has already created a number of movies and TV shows, but The Game is the first major original TV drama series to run in prime time on CCTV.

"It really is a remarkable experience for a company like ours to have the honour of working hand-in-hand with top Chinese companies like CCTV and top Chinese talent to create such an opportunity," said Todd Miller, executive vice president & managing director of SPTI.

"It really is an important and proud moment and at the same time it shows we are investing for the long haul."

China International Television Corporation will distribute The Game within China, but SPTI said it is also looking to distribute the series outside of China both in its original form and as a scripted format.

Miller said he believed Chinese content can play a very important role outside China's TV market.

"While this drama series was very much designed for the domestic Chinese viewer, we will also be distributing this series, hopefully, to key markets outside of China," he said.