Netflix secures Chinese licensing deal

Netflix agreed to provide television series to China-based iQiyi.com, the streaming-video service controlled by Baidu, gaining access to the only major film market that had eluded the world's largest paid video service.

The licensing deal covers television dramas, animated series, documentaries and variety shows, iQiyi said in an emailed statement. Popular Netflix original content, including the latest seasons of Black Mirror and Stranger Things, will probably be streamed on the Chinese site simultaneously, according to the statement. The drama Mindhunter and animated comedy BoJack Horseman will also be available on iQiyi.

Netflix has been looking for a way to enter China to help build a global audience for its growing library of exclusive shows. Netflix expanded to 130 countries last year and surpassed 100 million subscribers worldwide in April without the benefit of viewers in China, where government censors limit the types of content available.

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