Web portals now feed demand for foreign TV series

In an effort to repeat the success Sohu had when it imported the hot US TV series House of Cards earlier this year, other major Chinese video websites are jumping on the bandwagon with plans to introduce more foreign films and dramas, according to the China Press and Publishing Journal.

The scale of China's online video market reached more than 2.4 billion yuan ($391 million) in the first quarter of this year, increasing 39.5 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from iResearch Co, a leading Chinese company specializing in Internet research.

Online shows from abroad have advantages compared to traditional TV programs because the open-minded attitudes and multiculturalism they display appeals to Chinese viewers, industry insiders say.