TVB inks deal with 5 corporations to bolster content creation in GBA

Local broadcaster TVB has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with five corporations to deepen comprehensive strategic collaboration in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

This comes as TVB operates in around 200 countries, reaching 200 million users through traditional TV, over-the-top (OTT) platforms, smart TVs, and social media. New technology has boosted post-production efficiency by over 50%, reducing production cycles and costs, according to the release. 

Through the MoU with the five companies, TVB seeks to foster strong collaboration in key areas, including film and television content creation, technology development, and platform operations.

TVB has teamed up with Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) to promote Chinese music culture globally in GBA. They will integrate music technology, user ecosystems, and film and television IP from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and international channels, aiming to explore innovative business models that enhance cultural integration and the global influence of Chinese content.

TVB will also provide TME access to its film and television IP, while Kugou Music (酷狗音樂) and MaiDuiDui (埋堆堆) will launch a "Hong Kong Drama" (港劇場) section that combines music videos with AI technology. They will also release an annual Cantonese music chart and a global plan for Cantonese culture enthusiasts. Additionally, they will collaborate on the "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" (歡樂今宵) live project to develop new revenue streams in GBA. Their goal is to establish a global benchmark for "music + film + technology" within three years and meet various objectives by 2025.

Meanwhile, TVB's wholly-owned subsidiary 77 Atelier (77工作室) has signed a framework agreement for joint production with Tencent Penguin Pictures (騰訊視頻). This agreement outlines collaboration for the production, distribution, and investment of multiple TV series. It solidifies the partnership between TVB and Tencent, including plans to co-produce the well-known Jin Yong martial arts novel "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer” (笑傲江湖). 

To further engage in national and GBA development, TVB and Shenzhen Media Group (深圳廣播電影電視集團) have partnered on joint production projects for online and offline content, aiming for TVB's first drama to air in prime time on mainland satellite television following the new Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) supplementary agreement.

In addition to collaboration on drama production, TVB, Huawei Hong Kong, and iFlytek will collaborate on developing Cantonese language models and their applications, focusing on automatic speech recognition and training Cantonese corpora. They will also explore an intelligent office system using iFlytek's AI speech recognition and Huawei's cloud architecture to enhance cross-department collaboration. Additionally, the partnership aims to cultivate talent in digital transformation and AI applications in "AI + media technology."

Thomas Hui, executive chairman, TVB, said: “We have established branch offices in key GBA cities such as Guangzhou, Macau, and Shenzhen, engaging in deep collaborations with leading enterprises across various sectors. In recent years, TVB has implemented significant reforms to address the impacts of market changes and technological developments on the media industry.”

“In terms of content innovation, we are upgrading our production teams and attracting young, creative professionals to inject new energy into our programs and create a new cultural trend of ‘Hong Kong style’ (港風). For market expansion, we are actively embracing GBA and mainland China markets, leveraging regional advantages to broaden our influence.”

Siu Sai Wo, general manager (business operations), TVB, said: “Speaking about TVB's new strategy focusing on GBA as its primary market, TVB has continuously optimised its signal transmission in Guangdong Province this year to enhance viewer experience. Guangdong Jade Channel and Guangdong Pearl Channel have provided diverse options for television consumers, enriching the cultural offerings for a wide audience.”

Don't miss: TVB chairman acquires shares in ultimate parent company

Back in May, Hui acquired shares in its ultimate parent company, Young Lion Holdings (YLH), from non-executive director Kenneth Hsu. YLH is an indirect holding company of Shaw Brothers, which owned 116,817,527 shares of the company as of 9 May 2025, representing 25.02%.

Hui and Hsu have entered into a sale and purchase agreement, pursuant to which Hsu has agreed to transfer his shareholding interests in YLH to Hui.

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