LeEco signs online TV deal with China Radio International

Jia Yueting, co-founder and head of Le Holdings Co Ltd, also known as LeEco and formerly as LeTV, poses for a photo in front of a logo of his company in Beijing, April 22, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Chinese internet firm LeEco has announced that its cooperation agreement with the TV service of China Radio International has been approved by the county's media watchdog.

Users on the platform of LeEco can now obtain legal contents from CIBN, the online TV service of CRI.

China's media regulator has been tightening the rules surrounding Internet TV services and TV boxes produced by internet companies.

So far the regulator has only granted seven institutions with licenses to provide Internet TV services.

Those online video providers will have to cooperate with one of the seven institutions to gain legal status.

LeEco started as online video-streaming site, but managed a rapid rise by selling internet-enabled devices that are bundled with video content.

In China, the company also sells smartphones and TVs that include a LeEco membership that allows their users to watch TV shows and movies.