China Daily Website signs content-sharing deal with Russia's SPB TV

Kirill Filippov, SPB TV CEO, shakes hands with Han Lei, editor-in-chief of China Daily Website, during the signing ceremony of the license agreement in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on Sept 25. [Photo by Du Lianyi/chinadaily.com.cn]

China Daily Website, China's largest English-language website, and SPB TV signed a license agreement during the second China - Russia New Media Forum in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on Monday.

"We are looking forward to having cooperation with SPB TV," said Han Lei, editor-in-chief of China Daily Website, "Through taking advantage of the SPB TV platform, we hope that more Chinese good stories can be known and favored by Russian people."

The agreement involves granting of international rights on the video-on-demand, or VOD content with regard to such genres as entertainment, documentary and news.

The content will be produced by China Daily Website and broadcast on the over-the-top, or OTT platform of SPB TV, as well as via the Belt & Road special application owned by SPB TV.

The content will be either in English or dubbed in the local language. The monetizing of content is planned based on the sharing of profit received from advertisement placement.

"We are currently witnessing the ever-increasing interest in alternative sources of news. The fact that the largest English-language website in China is granting us the rights helps us satisfy our viewers' demand and ensure the geographic expansion of our new Chinese partner,” said Kirill Filippov, SPB TV CEO.

SPB TV, as the largest provider of end-to-end OTT TV, IPTV and mobile TV solutions in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), started broadcasting content from China in 2013.

At the moment, both the company's OTT platform and the Belt & Road app, developed exclusively for those taking an interest in TV content from China, are broadcasting over 16 Chinese terrestrial channels and four VOD channels, as well as content from these Chinese media companies: Xinhua, Shanghai Media Group, China Central Television (CCTV), and China Economic Network.

"Enhancing cooperation with Chinese media is one of the most important strategic development strategies for us and our technological ability allows us to be able to protect the safety of the content," said Filippov.