A unit of ITV, the UK's largest commercial broadcaster, has linked up with Hunan Satellite Television, one of China's most commercially successful state broadcasters, jointly to develop formats that could be first broadcast in China and later exported.
The deal between ITV Studios and Hunan is an indication of the importance China could gain in the global television market in spite of Beijing's censorship and state control of the media industry.
Under the agreement signed on Monday, Hunan TV will license several formats over the coming three years. ITV and Hunan TV will co-develop, create and own the new formats together, ITV said. Hunan TV plans to start broadcasting the programming this year but also hopes ITV can take the shows they make overseas.