STX Entertainment has paired up with Chinese internet giant Tencent to broadcast the 75th Golden Globes Awards live online in China.
The two companies will also co-produce a live Chinese-language pre-show from the Globes’ red carpet. The pre-show will star Chinese celebrity hosts interacting with celebrities and dishing on the fashion and happenings of the carpet from a Chinese perspective. Both the red carpet show and the Globes Awards telecast will be aired live, or near-live, on Tencent Video, which operates in China under an ad-supported and subscription streaming-video model somewhat similar to Netflix.
STX acquired the China rights to distribute the Globes from Dick Clark Productions and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in December. STX followed that deal with an agreement with DCP to distribute the 2018 Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest broadcast in China. That show also ran live on Tencent Video.
The Globes have a growing following in China, where prestigious awards tend to command special reverence, and where the local entertainment market continues to boom. In late 2016, the awards nearly came under Chinese control when Beijing conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group sought to buy Dick Clark Productions for $1 billion. Wanda ultimately scrapped the pact in early 2017, however, under pressure from Chinese regulators.
STX, co-founded by Bob Simonds and Bill McGlashan in 2014, has considerable ties to China. Tencent, China’s most valuable company by market capitalization, is among the STX’s strategic investors, along with Beijing-based private equity firm Hony Capital. Most of the studio’s film slate to date has been co-financed under a deal with Chinese company Huayi Brothers Media.
That slate agreement included the co-financing of Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut Molly’s Game, which is nominated for two Golden Globes: best screenplay for Sorkin, and best performance by an actress in a motion picture drama for Jessica Chastain.
The Golden Globe Awards will be held this Sunday, Jan. 7.
