//Communications scientist Jian Lin from the Chinese University of Hong Kong sees that Youku Judge has selected Dee’s Mystery to put the company on the international map. The series makers hope that the Dutch connection will make it easier to attract an international audience. At the same time, the series is about traditional China, something that fits well with the government strategy for stimulating cultural exports from China. That is a priority for the Chinese state, but with an emphasis on culture that, according to President Xi Jinping, “tells China’s story well.” Lin: “The company also needs permission from the Chinese authorities to do this.”
He explains why Chinese platforms are so busy with international expansion. “The domestic competition is extreme, and the number of subscribers is stagnating.” While Netflix mainly generates its revenue from subscriptions, Chinese streaming services depend on both advertisements and subscriptions. Subscriptions often come at different levels. For example, members with ‘VIP’ or ‘SuperVIP’ status can watch episodes earlier. Non-subscribers also have access but will see a lot of advertising. According to Lin, Chinese internet companies hope that the experience they gain in the hyper-competitive Chinese market will help them find consumers in the rest of the world.
He does not know whether the historical detective series, launched on February 6 on Chinese television and on Youku’s international app, will help. So far, there has been no major international success for a Chinese television series. “But it could be possible. Especially with these types of historical dramas, which are not directly about contemporary China and therefore have less to take into account censorship. That gives more room for creativity.” Judge Dee’s Mystery will probably also be released on Netflix later. //
Full article: https://bit.ly/3wubSTU (NRC)
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