Fox strikes Nat Geo deal with China’s Tencent

NGC Asia’s Frogmen

Fox International Channels has agreed a deal with Chinese online video site Tencent, which will launch a National Geographic branded block.

The pair will also make programming together as part of the agreement.

Nat Geo is part of the FIC stable of channels and the block on Tencent Video will be programmed with docs from the factual net.

The FIC-Tencent deal spans 300 hours of Nat Geo content, which will launch on Tencent in 2015.

Tencent and Nat Geo will also coproduce China-focused original programming under the terms of the deal.

Sy Lau, senior EVP of Tencent and president of Tencent Online Media Group, said: “One of our priorities is to introduce premium content in China. With NGC’s expertise on documentaries, we will co-develop programs focusing on this fast moving society. We are looking forward to bringing world-class content to Chinese viewers.”

Tony Qi, territory head for China at FIC added: “We are pleased to working with Tencent Video, a platform supported by one of the largest internet companies in China and globally. We are excited that with Tencent’s extensive and innovative network, we will be able to bring NGC content to even a wider audience in China.”

Tencent has increasingly been working with international partners. In September it struck a deal with Talpa for a Chinese reality show. It has also been acquiring from international distributors, with recent deals including the acquisition of a package of docs from BBC Worldwide.

However, China’s on-demand platforms are under government pressure to replace overseas content with more nationalistic-style programming. Shows such as The Good Wife and The Big Bang Theory were removed from sites earlier this year.