Jiaflix, Chinese Movie Channel’s M1905 Launch Movie Streaming Venture in China

Jiaflix and the China Movie Channel's streaming movie website M1905 have teamed in venture to stream international feature films, in addition to Chinese movies, using SVOD and TVOD throughout China.

Jiaflix -- whose principals include former Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Sid Ganis -- has already signed a multi-year licensing deal with Paramount Pictures, whose library titles will be available through the online movie service when it launches in the fourth quarter.

Said Paramount Home Media Distribution president Hal Richardson in a statement: “This is an important step for Paramount in terms of positioning our product in China. Paramount has worked with China Movie Channel for many years and we are happy to be expanding our relationship and online movie viewership in China through our deal with Jiaflix.”

The deal between Jiaflix and M1905 is a minimum 15-year agreement.

To address piracy concerns, the two companies said that they would be putting in place a “major” new antipiracy program.

M1905, a subsidiary of Chinese government-led China Movie Channel, is online movie site with 4 million unique visitors daily and 3 million registered users. It offers 6,000 Chinese films and plans are in place to purchase an additional 500 movies per year.

Xu Qian Er & Li Yuchun