KEY TAKEAWAYS

• iQiYi: China’s own Netflix?

• VPN: Watching Netflix in China?

• Content and Cultural differences

Netflix is now the dominant video software and is the number one choice for the vast majority of people to watch videos. According to Statista (2023, from 2013-2023, Netflix’s subscription has been growing steadily. But in China, Netflix is not the mainstream video platform. And it can even be said that a few platforms in China are strong competitors of Netflix.

iQiYi: China’s own Netflix?

There are three major online video streaming platforms in China, iQiYi, Youku and Tencent, which are dominated by Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent Group respectively (Xu and Liu, 2023). iQiYi even has the title of Chinese version of Netflix, as it had topped the list in 2022 with 168 million unique visits. (Thomala, 2023)

Audiences have a chance watch original Chinese TV dramas and films, as well as excellent episodes from abroad on iQiYi. According to Thomala (2023),

“Netflix saw the influence of iQiYi in China in 2017 and reached a friendly cooperation with this platform.”

The content of popular and excellent series on Netflix was licensed to iQiYi and introduced into China market. For example, the original Netflix series “Stranger Things” and “Black Mirror” are signed with licensed shown in iQiYi.

VPN: Watching Netflix in China?

The most important reason for Netflix’s low subscription numbers in China is that people don’t have access to download the Netflix app and subscribe to its content. If you want to watch Netflix episodes, you have to use a VPN to download them over the wall first.

Plus there is an additional charge for subscribing to a VPN, which requires a monthly fee with a Netflix subscription.

• So are Chinese audiences willing to pay extra money to watch Netflix original content? The answer is No.

However, iQiYi and Tencent, as China’s larger video platforms, have their own membership subscription fees as well which are cheaper than Netflix.According to the news from GMA in 2023, Tencent’s membership fee is 30 RMB per month (3.5 pounds), and iQiYi’s monthly membership fee is 19 RMB (2 pounds). Therefore audiences in China are less likely to spend extra money to watch Netflix episodes. So I took a wild guess if Netflix is popular in China, Chinese audiences will not choose Netflix when consider about the membership.

Content and Cultural differences

In addition, Netflix has carefully selected the content of the programmes to be broadcast as close to the local culture as possible. According to Netflix’s help centre, if Netflix is not available in the language of the registrant, it will conditionally reduce the number of episodes that can be seen in the region. This is mainly to cater to the cultural and ethnic characteristics of the region.

On account of China has strict regulations on broadcasting video content on television.According to Xu and Liu (2023), the conditions of access in China, especially the dissemination of cultural content, the level of regulation, and the transparency of firms entering the country, are very strict.

In other words, Netflix needs to fulfil a number of conditions to enter China. Sun (2022) has mentioned that the broadcaster will censor all series that are not in line with its values and will block some pornographic content or LGBT series. For example, if ‘Shameless’ were to be broadcast on Chinese platforms, the sex scenes in the episodes would be censored. This is because, according to China’s content censorship standards for new and broadcast media content distribution

“content producers and service platforms should resist the production and distribution of undesirable information, such as content involving sexual innuendo and violence.”

Shi & Lai， 2021

So in the end, I would like to say that I really hope that Netflix can be released in China. But with China’s three major video sites and strict broadcasting conditions, this will be a difficult task.

Recommended Readings

Chinese Streaming Services: What Is The Chinese Equivalent Of Netflix? – Marketing China. (2023).

Binns. R., (2023), Websites banned in China, The Independent.

Statista. (2018). Top 10 Chinese video sites 2018, Statista.

Shi, J. and Lai, Y. (2021). In brief: media law and regulation in China. Lexology.

Sun, Z. and Hou, W. (2022). An Analysis of the Characteristics and Trends of China’s Mainstream Media Integration. Studies in Social Science & Humanities, 1(5), pp.58–63.

Xu,Richard and Liu. H (2023). Chinese TV in the Netflix Era. Anthem Press.

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Interesting Netflix Episodes

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Crowdfunded platform: Kickstarter

• The best slipper from Modify Kiss

• Benefits of Crowdfunding

• Drawbacks of Crowding

Crowdfunded platform: Kickstarter

Crowdfunding is a form of fundraising usually used by teams or individuals who have fresh ideas but no start-up capital.

Kickstater, Indiegogo and GoFundMe are some of the biggest crowdfunding sites on the Internet. Kickstater is also a popular crowdfunding option. The platform has successfully funded 250,626 projects and committed more than $7,736,410,018.

The best slipper from Modify Kiss

Today I’m going to introduce the successful crowdfunded project “Modifox Kiss: The Best Slipper Doesn’t get Dirty Outside” from the platform Kickstater.

This project has redefined the way we wear slippers. This feature of comfortable indoor slippers can not withstand the outdoor function has completely eliminated. Modifox Kiss uniquely combines the style and functionality of slippers. Even if we wear them outdoors, we can keep them clean because we can take off the soles of slippers at any time. Because the aim of this project is “Changing shoes is over”.

I think this project is very creative. It is not only designed to turn slippers into sneakers in a second, but also designed in three different colors for consumers to choose. Best of all, the shoes are recyclable and reusable. So this idea of protecting the environment also contributed to the success of this project.

At last, I think the other reason for the success of this project is that it is very detailed. The program’s website even detailed to measure your feet in the afternoon for an accurate size specifically. It’s not like other shoe websites that just paste the shoe sizes on it for consumers to choose from. The project also mentions the process and timeline of making the shoes. Sustainable materials and eco-friendly factories are used throughout.

Benefits of Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a democratic and diverse solution. It is a good platform to help the early stages of a company or an individual to realize their ideas. Because you can communicate with more investors or people who support your project. This can also improve the success of your own projects. If your project has a follow-up development, these “investors” will also be your future “consumers”.

In addition, I think crowdfunding is a sustainable way to fund cultural products. Compared with traditional financing methods and speed, crowdfunding platforms can obtain funds faster. Plus, there are now many crowdfunded websites, providing more channels for the development of cultural products. This will ensure that diverse cultural products can continue to flourish. Because I’ve seen a lot of different crowdfunding categories on Kickstarter, (from Art, Film, Design & Tech to Food&Craft). So in general, I think crowdfunding is a good way to spread culture.

“Digital fundraising technologies benefit not only the digital production and distribution of cultural content, but also the production and distribution of physical content, tangible in the case of goods and live in the case of services.”

Loots, E., Betzler, D., Bille, T. et al. (2022)

Drawbacks of Crowding

For most crowdfunding platforms, the success of crowdfunding is still more dependent on social media of marketing. Therefore, for early entrepreneurs, it is disadvantageous just using crowdfunding platforms to publish their projects. They tend to make their projects uncompetitive and fail to maximize its strengths and potential.

“Such high levels of online connectivity can be demanding in emotional terms, and is costly, also from an opportunity cost perspective.”

Loots, E., Betzler, D., Bille, T. et al. (2022)

In addition, there are uncertainties and risks associated with using crowdfunding. For example, time and uncertain amount of funds in total. It is hard for publishers to be sure that they will be able to raise enough crowdfunding before deadline. If the crowdfunding fails, the funds will be returned to the backers’ accounts intact, according to Kickstarter rules. So at that point it’s not just a waste of time for the crowdfunders but also a disappointment for the people who support them.

In short, crowdfunding guarantees a diverse cultural products. But it also has its own risks, compared to other conservative ways of cultural production. So crowdfunding as a spreading way of cultural products still needs to avoid its own unique opportunities and challenges if it continues to move forward with.

Recommended Readings

Handke, C. and Dalla Chiesa, C. (2022). The art of crowdfunding arts and innovation: the cultural economic perspective. Journal of Cultural Economics.

Industrytoday(2023). Crowd Funding Market: Ready To Fly on high Growth Trends, Kickstarter, Patreon, Crowdfunder – Industry Today.

‌Karungi, L. (2019). Alternative Sources of Capital: Crowdfunding. Shona.co.

Loots, E., Betzler, D., Bille, T., Borowiecki, K.J. and Lee, B. (2022). New forms of finance and funding in the cultural and creative industries. Introduction to the special issue. Journal of Cultural Economics, 46(2), pp.205–230.

Mitchell, A. (2016). Crowdfunding enables diverse new frontier for journalism projects. Pew Research Center.

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Interesting Projects on Kickstater