Hunan TV’s new daytime show,The Rocking Bridge, could be a metaphor for China’s television market: Ride out the gyrations, stay on the bridge no matter what, and the prize is yours. So far, Hunan TV is hanging on determinedly.

At home, another 20 episodes have been added to the original 50 commissioned forThe Rocking Bridge, which strips daily from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Hunan TV has one other original format out in the world –The Sound– and is expanding its in-house original content development skills. Ultimately, the aim is more originals, fewer acquisitions.

For Lester Hu, Hunan TV’s head of formats and international business,The Rocking Bridgeis a new experience, transforming him from buyer to seller/co-development partner.

The broader corporate shift has a mix of drivers – regulations that limit foreign IP acquisition, China’s rising creative confidence and the endless quest for new ideas. Hu says finding instant matches for Chinese audiences is increasingly tough. “China is developing so rapidly, audiences always want something new, something more. And, to be honest, the lifespan of classic formats in China is pretty short. We have to come up with new things, which have never been done before, to really take the lead,” he says.

The strategy means fewer international acquisitions. “Basically we’re shifting our focus to co-development,” Hu says. Hunan TV, which has 112 million domestic viewers daily, already distributes its finished programmes, including drama and local versions of Korean formats such asI’m a SingerandDaddy, Where are We Going?, across Asia.

Another trend is the growing strength of China’s indie production sector, which Hu says has given rise to a new era of collaboration.

Meanwhile, online video players is changing the game, including Hunan TV’s Mango TV, which is a top five player in China. “It’s our unique strategy to develop the traditional television channel as well as a new media player as a package in the market,” Hu says.

The two platforms share content and IP freely. “It’s a whole partnership strategy,” Hu says. Mango TV, with different formats of Hunan titles, including short form, brings in younger audiences across devices.

While Hunan TV still led rankings in the first half of 2018, it’s not unaware of rising competition from streaming giants, which can be much more flexible but are increasingly facing regulatory and other challenges of their own.

It’s hardly a surprise. As Hu says, “We all have new challenges.” And the bridge keeps rocking.

Published in ContentAsia's Issue Five 2018, 4 October 2018