Seven insiders from the Chinese and American film and TV industries held a panel discussion on further co-production and co-distribution and on the grave challenges facing Chinese film corporations wishing to compete on the global stage. [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/chinadaily.com.cn]

At present, an OTT channel can provide direct access to audiences, with no intermediaries, which leads to two-way interaction, with audiences providing invaluable feedback on what they like and what they don’t like, what they find cool and relevant and what doesn’t pass that test.

“Also, the largest segment of the OTT audience is young people. These are the viewers who most value this medium for its flexibility and ability to put them in direct charge of the content they watch. Again, these young people are the trend-setters and will be key to shifting how the rest of the world views China and its culture.”

Cinedigm Corp is about to launch a Chinese channel in the United States and Canada to present a broader ray of Chinese entertainment and cultural content in a positive way, opening up a sort of new world viewing for audiences in North America.

According to McGurk, “Close cooperation and leadership from China and the United States is absolutely vital to the positive growth of the Internet and entertainment business.”