BEIJING, Dec. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- iQIYI Inc.
(NASDAQ: IQ) ("iQIYI" or the "Company"), an innovative
market-leading online entertainment service in China, is pleased to announce that it has
recently entered into agreements with TV networks in South Korea and Australia to broadcast the suspense
thriller "The Bad Kids", a series from iQIYI's Mist Theater
content library. The suspense series was aired on CHANNEL A, a
South Korean mainstream TV network, in December, making it the
first Chinese modern drama to be shown on the
channel.
"The Bad Kids" is also scheduled to air on SBS Viceland, an
Australian free-to-air TV network, and SBS On Demand in
2021. The agreements mark major milestones for iQIYI and Mist
Theater, further raising the expectations for Chinese suspense
drama series in the overseas markets following its successful
overseas debut in multiple markets.
To date, Mist Theater has been successfully distributed to
overseas market such as Japan,
Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, as well as Hong Kong and
Macao. In addition, distribution
rights of multiple dramas under Mist Theater have been sold
for Japan. "The Bad Kids" was acquired by WOWOW,
Japan's first private satellite
pay-TV network while "The Long Night" was purchased by
NHK Enterprises. The remaining two titles, "Crimson
River" and "Sisyphus", will be aired on local
channels.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore's pay-TV network Singtel has
aired "Kidnapping Game," "Sisyphus" and "The
Long Night." Meanwhile, all five Mist Theater titles are currently
airing on the iQIYI HD channel on Astro, Malaysia's top media brand. Vietnam's premium pay-TV network
VSTV has acquired the entire Mist Theater series and plans to
promote and broadcast the series under specific
time-belt on K+ channels. NOW TV, a mainstream pay-TV
network in Hong Kong and Macao
SARs of China, acquired three
titles, namely "Kidnapping Game," "The Bad
Kids" and "The Long Night."
As Mist Theater goes global and becomes more widely received in
overseas markets, it is transforming perceptions of original
Chinese content and further increasing their influence. This sets a
milestone for Chinese suspense thrillers as they expand into new
overseas markets and for Chinese media companies exploring the
global operation and distribution.
Mist Theater has received widespread acclaim from critics and
viewers alike, both in China and
in overseas markets. The Guardian, The Economist, South China
Morning Post, Content Commerce Insider and other overseas media
have applauded the superb quality of Mist Theater, recognizing it
as a trailblazer in Chinese original content creation for its
higher quality episodes, innovative storylines and outstanding
performances. "The Bad Kids" recently became the first
Chinese TV series to win the "Best Creative" award at the 2nd Asia
Contents Awards under Busan
International Film Festival 2020.
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SOURCE iQIYI