Celestial Tiger Entertainment Announces Content Licensing Deals With Premier Video On Demand And Internet Platforms In China

Celestial Tiger Entertainment today announced several major content licensing deals for Video On Demand rights with multiple platforms in China, including iQIYI, Sohu

, YOU On Demand and Youku

. The deals establish CTE's presence as a significant content distributor in Asia in addition to its operation of six branded pay TV channels across Asia Pacific. The deals encompass feature films and television content from the Lionsgate

library, and enable CTE to further penetrate China's booming 2 billion-plus RMB ($300 million U.S.) video-on-demand market. Lionsgate, a diversified global entertainment company, is partnered in CTE with Saban Capital Group and Astro's Celestial Pictures. CTE noted that its content licensing deals meet a rapidly growing need for copyrighted content in the intensely competitive 2 billion RMB Chinese online video market, which is poised for continued strong growth after a 170% increase in 2010 over the previous year. As the exclusive sales agent for all of Lionsgate's content in Greater China and Southeast Asia, CTE has access to a vast array of commercially successful and critically-acclaimed films and television series, and the licensing deals announced today included Quentin Tarantino's classic Reservoir Dogs, Lionsgate's Oscar-winning drama Monster's Ball, director David Lynch's sci-fi classic Dune, the action franchise Crank, and the multiple Emmy© Award-winning television series Mad Men. iQIYI is an independent online video company founded by Chinese search engine Baidu

, and Providence Equity Partners, and focuses on licensed, high-definition, professionally-produced content.