Tencent, the Chinese internet gaming and social media group, has agreed a strategic tie-up with US cable channel HBO to distribute content to online viewers in China.
The internet group will be the country’s sole provider of HBO’s dramas and movies online, including series such as Game of Thrones, True Detective and Rome.
However, the deal will test new content rules being promulgated almost weekly by China’s broadcast regulator, as it comes to grips with the surging popularity of internet video. China’s State Administration for Radio, Film and Television has moved to limit foreign content on Chinese websites, banning several shows including The Big Bang Theory, The Good Wife, NCIS and The Practice.