The company, which has the rights to use its mainland TV joint-venture to produce localised programmes, is targeting "kids productions, as well as movies and scripted series based on popular terrestrial formats and live shows".
According to Todd Miller, managing director for Asia at Sony Pictures Television International, the company's Beijing-based JV with China Film Group-owned Hua Long Film Digital Production expects to be in pre-production by mid-year. Set up in November, the venture operates under the name Huaso Film/Television Digital Production. "We have the ability to bring international standards, techniques and ideas to TV content (in China) and we are in different conversations with media ad groups in China," said Miller.
"There are huge opportunities in the content market for exchange of programmes in China, where nine million hours of content are broadcast every year, of which three hours are traded in the marketplace."
Sony Pictures was the first Sino-foreign co-production JV approved by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (Sarft) in China.
The new rules allowed it to make a maximum 49 per cent stake in the JV.