Disney Cartoons To Be Made Available In China After Deal Between Alibaba and Disney is Reached

According to Variety, Disney cartoon series are to be made more widely available in China following a deal between Buena Vista International and Youku, the video streaming platform owned by Alibaba.

The entry of foreign broadcast channels in China is strictly limited, though content can be licensed to Chinese channels and platforms. Disney and Alibaba last year saw a joint venture online channel cancelled, after it apparently fell foul of regulators.

Variety reports that more than 1,000 episodes of Disney animated series will be released via PC and mobile on Youku and OTT platforms selected by Alibaba. Up to 600 episodes are exclusive to Alibaba's distribution channels for the first two years. Classic animated series covered by the deal include "DuckTales" and "My Friends Tigger & Pooh." Other series and episodes are not exclusive to Youku, and are available on other platforms.

Tim Westcott, an analyst at research firm IHS Markit, said the content deal announced Monday is "a good partnership for Disney."

"The addition of Disney content greatly enriches the library of quality international content on Alibaba's media and entertainment ecosystem, giving us a leading edge in foreign content distribution in China," said Yang Weidong, president of Youku, Alibaba Digital Media, in a statement.

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