Video websites to produce more of their own series, Magnolia Forum told

 

Online series are expected to become a critical new business for video websites in China, experts and industry insiders told the Magnolia Forum at the ongoing 20th Shanghai TV Festival.

Video websites originally provided a platform for secondary transmission of TV content but they are expanding the business model to include production, broadcasting and commercial partnerships, the forum heard.

By the end of this year more than 1,000 episodes of original online series will be presented on China\'s major video-sharing websites. Most of them have been tailor-made for Chinese internet users whose number has already reached 618 million and is still growing.
Wang Juan, deputy general manager of Tencent Online Video, said the company launched a strategy of producing its own series last year. It will present around 500 episodes of original series in varied genres this year.

"Excellent content and perfect user experiences are the goals of video websites," said Wang. "We are still new in the field of online series production. But it is a business with great potential and good prospects."

The company\'s latest suspense thriller series Death Notify achieved a click-through rate of more than 2 million within the first 12 hours of its debut on June 10.

Famous scriptwriter Li Xiao said the series explored the human dark side and helped to change people\'s stereotype that domestic online series were funny and shallow parodies.

"The popularity of the show demonstrates that online series can cover a lot of subjects and be produced in many different styles, some of which can even be experimental," Li said.

An increasing number of Chinese production companies are now also involved in cooperation with video websites to produce online series.

Ma Zhongjun, chairman of Ciwen Media Group and co-producer of Death Notify, said the company will continue to shoot online series that target the tastes of Netizens.

Most original online series are currently shown weekly however industry professionals noted the strong interactivity possible with this broadcast platform differed its series from TV dramas. Netizens get the chance to participate in series discussions and vote to decide the future story line.